


The Birth of DeathStar

by CuteCat213



Series: DeathStar Chronicles [1]
Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Character Death (Only one and in the first two chapters!), F/M, Fluff, Future Mpreg, Gen, Heavy Angst, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prequel Up, Romance, Tragedy, Triggers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-01-24 13:02:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 37
Words: 79,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1606145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuteCat213/pseuds/CuteCat213
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was always there for him, at his back; it was her that made his smiles and exuberance genuine. How can he smile now? How can he act excited, happy, ALIVE? How can he possibly go on without her there anymore? Slowly, eventually, with the help of his Obsessive Compulsive childhood friend; or so Kid hopes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

111

**Out in the rain.**

"I know you can do it, Tsubaki!"

**In the sword.**

Masamune laughed, "Do you hear him, sister? His faith in you is heart-warming, but severely misplaced."

The weakened Weapon panted on her knees, "B-Black...Star... I'm s-so... sorry..." her breath huffed out and she went limp in Masamune's grip.

He smirked and pulled her closer, "Good bye, little flower."

**Back out in the rain.**

_"B-Black...Star... I'm s-so... sorry..."_

"Tsubaki! NO! Hold on! TSUBAKI!" He dropped to his knees by his partner's kneeling body and took her by the shoulders, shaking her, "Tsubaki, answer me! TSUBAKI!"

BlackStar stopped when he felt trembling that wasn't coming from his actions. No, not trembling... laughing. Tsubaki's form shook with silent laughter, then she threw her head back and let it out, "Hahahahaha!"

"Tsubaki?"

Her head snapped down and turned to him, the eyes opening to reveal cursed orbs, "Sorry, Tsubaki's not here. She won't be ever again."

BlackStar froze, "N-no. You're lying." his grip on her arms tightened, "Give her back! Give Tsubaki back to me!" he shook the body-snatcher mercilessly.

Tsu- no,  _Masamune_  laughed again, leaning forward with a sly, almost-seductive look, the gender-swapped Kishin's lips grazing BlackStar's ear, " _Never_."

BlackStar's hands fell limp at his sides, his gaze straight ahead as the words resounded in his head, mercilessly, again and again.  _Gone. Gone. Gone._  "Ts-Tsubaki..." He remembered when he'd first met her.

_"Um... hello?"_

_"Hi! Who are you?!"_

_"I-I'm Tsubaki. Nakatsukasa Tsubaki. I'm... from Japan..."_

_"Well I'm BlackStar, and I'm going to transcend god!"_

_"Oh. Well... that's... very nice. You don't have a partner... right?"_

_"Nah, none of these wimps is good enough for a star like me!"_

_"Oh... I heard- I see..."_

_He knew she'd heard that none of the other Weapons could put up with him. He was enthusiastic, not deaf. Only Kid had ever been able to put up with him, at this rate he'd be Weaponless forever. He felt that internal barrier rising again, "Look, I have to find a partner among these weaklings, so if you'll excuse me..."_

_"Um, okay then... You... don't want to be my partner, either?"_

_"Wait, you came to be my partner?"_

_"Well... yes..."_

_BlackStar's heart soared, but he kept a blank face, "Well, what can you turn into?"_

_"Um... A tanto, a shuriken, a smoke bomb-"_

_"Wait, you have multiple forms?"_

_"...Yes...?"_

_"Alright- what was your name again?"_

_"Tsubaki..."_

_"Alright, Tsubaki, I've decided you're good enough to be my Weapon partner, so feel honored!"_

_Her face lit up and she bowed, "Oh, thank you! I do, and I'll do my best not to let you down; I promise!"_

BlackStar looked up as Tsubaki's body moved closer. He saw the village elder in her clutches, not able to so much as twitch before blood splattered his face along with the rain. The old man's body collapsed to the ground, his blue-white soul coalescing in the air. Masamune smiled with Tsubaki's lips, flicking his wrist, the voice coming out full of a malice Tsubaki had never known, "Look at that, I don't even need a wielder anymore." She caught him staring in horror and set her face in a worried frown, Tsubaki's voice coming from the usurped throat, "What's wrong, BlackStar? Don't you love me anymore? Am I no longer the sister you've never had?" Masamune/Tsubaki went to her hands and knees in the mud and crept closer, "I know I still love  _you_ , BlackStar." then she sat back, snagging the soul from where it floated in the air and bringing it to her mouth.

BlackStar reached out to stop her, "Tsubaki, no!"

She flipped backwards, soul still firmly in hand, "Ah, ah, ah." she chided, "No grabbing. If you want one, you'll just have to get your own."

He watched in paralyzed horror as the glowing orb disappeared behind soft lips and down Tsubaki's throat, "No..."

She looked at him from the corner of her eyes as she licked her fingers, "Mmm, it's so good... I think I'll have another!" She reached out and grabbed the poor boy who'd wielded Masamune earlier.

BlackStar rushed to his feet, "NO! Stop it!"

She paused with the Enchanted sword's blade at the boy's back, "Oh? And who's going to make me? You, BlackStar? Do you really think you have what it takes to kill your partner to save the lives of these pathetic fools that hate you? If you don't, then you don't care about the poor normal people as much as the chance of saving your beloved Weapon; if you do, then you're a heartless bastard who'd kill even his own partner..." BlackStar stared at the ground, his hands curled into fists in frustration. Masamune smirked, "Then these deaths are on you." and suddenly six inches of black steel was protruding from the youth's chest, a pained, shocked expression on his face.

"NOOO!" BlackStar's eyes closed as fingers tightened enough to draw blood, the terrified screams of the villagers ringing in his ears, and tears coursed down his cheeks to mingle with the rain. He dug his nails in harder, using the physical pain to focus him away from the mental agony.  _Tsubaki, I'm sorry._

Masamune swung at another villager, surprised when her blade met resistance, "Hmm?" she spotted BlackStar at the other end of it, blocking the sword with one of his arm guards, the girl she was aiming for cowering behind him.

The Meister's eyes were hidden by the angle he held his head at, "I  _said_ : stop it."

Masamune frowned, "Or what?"

BlackStar looked up at her, "I'll kill you."

111


	2. Chapter 2

222

BlackStar pushed back against the blade and Masamune went flying backwards, flipping around to slide through the mud on her knees, her eyes wide, "Wh-what?"

The assassin's voice was emotionless, "You've never fought any of your own battles, have you, Masamune? You possess your Meisters and tell them how to wield you, but you've never held a blade yourself."

Her face tightened, "I'll show you how well I handle a blade: when I'm peeling your skin from your body!"

"Try it."

_"BlackStar... *sigh* What's more important: making a big entrance, or completing our assignment?"_

_"Being a big star, of course!"_

_Tsubaki... I'm sorry I didn't listen to you better. I'll fix it now._

Masamune's swing was once again blocked by BlackStar's wristguard, "Die, damn you!"

The blue haired teen pushed off and hit the usurper with an open hand to the stomach, sending her crashing through a small hut. She climbed out of the rubble and looked around, not seeing him at all.  _Where...?_  The small part of her soul that had been her sister smirked deep within.  _Assassin's rule number one: Blend into the shadows... hold your breath... and wait for your opponent to let his guard down._

Masamune turned around, scanning as far as she could in the wet, rainy, foggy weather. Spotting the iconic silhouette in the fog near the fountain, she smiled and crept up on it, careful to be stealthy. When less than two feet away, she struck, "Ha!" her joyous expression turned into a frown when she couldn't remove her sword, and a breeze revealed that what she'd hit was an upright sheaf of hay.

Hearing splashing behind, she ripped her sword free and spun, searching through the fog but not seeing anything. Masamune rifled through Tsubaki's memories.  _Rule two: Tune into your target; know his thoughts and actions._  She smiled.  _He'll come out quick enough if I kill another villager or two._

With her sister's fit body, she was in front of the cowering weaklings almost as soon as she finished the thought; rising from a crouch with a smile and the blade held out at her side. She grabbed the first person that was closest by their collar and pulled them towards her, smirking down at the shivering form, "You'll do nicely."

"So will you."

Masamune dropped the villager and started to turn towards the voice, never finishing the move before a super-powered fist rammed into her stomach, a wave of electric agony racing through her entire system stemming from the point of contact. The sword fell from her numb fingers and she grabbed the muscled arm as she fell to her knees, looking up at a villager with... blue hair peaking from under their hat? "B-BlackStar?" she whispered, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Assassin's Rule number three: Strike your target down before he is aware of your existence."

"I... I see... I guess I lost... afterall."

BlackStar stared down in disbelief, his fist trembling, his whole soul shivering in denial and agonized loneliness, at the collapsed form of his partner. His legs gave out on him and he found himself on the ground next to her, gathering the still form into his arms. Blood spatter on the lax face beaded and ran from the tears that fell from the blue-haired teen. He held her close and rocked back and forth, "Tsubaki, I'm so sorry."

He held her tighter, as though he could hold her to the earthly plane if he just tightened his grip enough. One of the villagers touched his shoulder and said something he didn't even try to hear, blocking out everything except his partner.

He felt her body starting to dissolve in his arms as was the nature of Weapons, "No. Tsubaki, no! Please, stay with me! Don't go!" her very being unraveled in his hands, an angry red Kishin soul all that remained, floating in front of him. He put out his cupped, shaking hands and cradled the tainted spirit, holding it close to his chest, "Tsubaki..."

_"B-BlackStar..."_

His head snapped up and he looked around, "Tsubaki?!"

He felt a pulse of warmth from his hands.  _"BlackStar."_

_Tsubaki? Is that you?_

Her voice was warm with pleasure.  _"Yes, it's me. Thank you, BlackStar. I'm so sorry. I wasn't strong enough..."_

_NO! You were- it was my fault, this whole stupid mission was all my fault._

_"No! I should have been strong enough to deal with my brother. It was my responsibility and not only did I fail and make you deal with my mess, you had to fight my body, too. I -ngh!"_

_Tsubaki?! What's wrong?!_

_"Masamune's fighting me again. I can't hold out much longer. BlackStar, please, do one last thing for me?"_

_Anything._

_"Devour me."_

_Wh-what?! Tsubaki, no! I can't (be like them)- can't (take that risk)- can't_ _**eat you!** _ _Are you_ _**insane?!** _ _How could you even say that?!_

_"BlackStar, please! I know you're afraid, I am, too! But please! I've failed at everything. I failed my brother, my family, my Meister, myself, and the school. Please! This is the last thing I have to give, my last chance to redeem myself, my last chance to make it up to you... So, please, BlackStar, devour us. Ngh! Hurry, Masamune's winning!"_

His entire body shook. ( _Please no. I don't want to. Don't force me to...!)_  He slumped.  _I will._

_"Thank you, BlackStar. This is the last thing I can give. And BlackStar... I love you."_

_Tsubaki... I love you, too._  To the terrified looks of the villagers, BlackStar brought the soul to his mouth, the flickering orb tasting like blood and ash on his tongue, and swallowed the Kishin soul of his Weapon partner and her sibling. The warmth spread through his whole body, a pulsing coming from the general area of his stomach... then he collapsed as the heat quickly turned scorching. The pain combined with the exhaustive effects of the hellish day, and BlackStar faded into the darkness, his body lying prone in the cold mud as the sky continued crying.

222


	3. Chapter 3

333

Kid burst into his father's office with his Weapons right behind him, "Father! What happened?!"

Shinigami turned away from his mirror, "Oh, Kiddo, there you are. I'm afraid it's not very good."

"What happened? I heard BlackStar and Tsubaki were sent on a mission and now everyone's talking about Star turning into a Kishin! What kind of slander are you allowing in the school? What in the hell is going on?!"

"Kid!" Liz and Patty grabbed onto both his arms to keep him from launching himself at his father. The Thompsons had always known Kid and BlackStar were close. Star had been taken in by Shinigami-sama and the school before they had, and been with Kid since they were both toddlers. The boys were so close that Kid didn't even freak out about BlackStar's asymmetrical hairdo. And that was saying  _a lot_.

Spirit stepped in front of the fuming adolescent death god and put his hands on Kid's shoulders, "Kid... this isn't easy to say, but... Tsubaki didn't make it."

Liz and Patty both gasped, letting their Meister go to cling to one another, "No!"

Kid shook his head, "That-that-that can't be... What-" he cleared his throat, "How's Star doing? What happened? Where's the Kishin that got her; did you kill it?"

The redhead looked away, "He's... " Spirit shook his head.

"He's catatonic, Kiddo."

"And what's with all these assanine Kishin rumors? A Meister just lost his partner!"

If anything, the adults looked even more uneasy, "Kid, BlackStar took down the Kishin that got Tsubaki."

"That's good, it should help him hea-"

"And then he ate its soul."

Kid's golden eyes widened, "Wh-what?!"

"BlackStar and Tsubaki were sent on a special mission. The Kishin in question was her brother, the Enchanted Sword Masamune. From what we've been able to gather, she and Masamune fought one-on-one, and Tsubaki lost and was devoured. Then BlackStar took him out on his own, and devoured the soul. He collapsed and was taken to the infirmary, where he's been unconscious until this morning. But now he won't talk to anyone, not even Shinigami-sama, or respond to anything. All of the school's heard the story and most of the students, and some of the teachers, are convinced BlackStar's going to turn into a Kishin egg like the rest of the Star clan. The students are calling for expulsion, the faculty for execution..."

Kid stumbled backwards, and would have fallen if not for his partners, "No..." he turned to Shinigami, "Father, you can't seriously be considering this! We've known Star all his life! You  _know_ there's got to be more to this than meets the eye, BlackStar wouldn't  _do_ something like this, not without a reason!"

"Kiddo..."

He shook his head, "No! Whatever excuse you're about to give me: No! Not BlackStar! Father, you  _can't_! I won't let you!"

The Thompsons took off after their Meister as he ran from the Death Room. Shinigami sighed, "There's more to the situation than you realize, Kiddo..."

Kid swept through the school like an ill wind, students seeing the young death god wisely stood aside at the thunderous expression on his face and that of his Weapons. He slammed open the infirmary entrance, the nurse-on-call startling so badly she dropped her clipboard. Kid ignored her, not even commenting on how she had a hair clip on one side and not the other. He stood before her and crossed his arms, glaring, "Tell me about BlackStar. Now."

The small brunette picked up her clipboard and hugged it to her chest, shaking, "H-he just... H-here, see for yourself."

Kid had been expecting a lot of things: a blank-faced BlackStar, an infuriated blue-haired teen glaring daggers at the wall or anyone foolish enough to approach him; he'd seen any number of reactions over the years they'd lived together. But the pink curtain pulling back to reveal a black katana laying on the pristine white berth wasn't one of the things he'd been expecting, not in the least; it hadn't even been on the list of possibilities.

333


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we start, (for those of you few keeping up with my other Soul Eater fic) Unlike BRS, I have no idea where the storyline for this one is going; so ideas are welcome -nay, BEGGED for- if, that is, you want this fic to continue, because I'm swiftly running out of steam. I've got all pairing, little plot -_-" That said, please enjoy the chapter; savor it, as it may be endagered...

444

Kid looked back at the nurse in confusion, "What...?"

"He's been like this since he woke up. He was being questioned, got an odd look on his face, then this. We've had every member of the faculty capable of it try to wield him and resonate souls, even Stein. Every single one of them has come away from it with burns on their hands without having been able to get so much as a squeak from him. Even Shinigami-sama. If this continues, he'll get stuck and be declared Weaponized, doomed to be locked in some armory somewhere."

Liz looked nauseous, "Can that really happen?"

"If he forgets what his human form feels like; then yes, it's a very real possibility."

Kid's hands fisted, "So his choices are being stuck as a weapon forever or turning back into a human and being executed?! To hell with all of you! Get out! Get out of the room!" he shoved the nurse towards the door, where she stumbled out in fear. He looked at his Weapons, "Guard the door."

"What are you going to do, Kid?" Patty asked in child-like innocence.

"I'm getting my friend back." He sat on the end of the berth, calming his breathing, then reached out and held the sword.

A shock like static went through him, and his palms started heating. He ignored the discomfort and reached out with his soul.  _Come on, I know you're in there, Star. Answer me._  The heat became painful, but Kid continued to hold on, thinking of every positive and pleasant thing he could about the charmingly annoying blue-haired Meister.

When he'd been a child, Kid hadn't had any friends, they were all afraid of him. BlackStar wasn't, he'd come right up and dragged him into a game, symmetry and fear be damned. BlackStar had always been exasperated-tolerable when it came to Kid's OCD, pushing him right to the edge without ever pushing him over. BlackStar, who for Kid's birthday had snuck into his room when they were young and  _painted_  his hair so that his Sanzu lines were perfectly symmetrical for an entire blissful day. Who couldn't be bothered to clean up his horridly messy room, but made the effort to make it at least a semi-symmetrical mess.

When BlackStar was around, symmetry just didn't matter as much. Star's signature hair style by all rights should have given Kid hives, but instead he found it cute. It was thanks to BlackStar's conditioning and knocking common sense into him that Kid had been able to overcome Liz and Patty's asymmetrical human forms and accept them as his partners. It was all thanks to Star. He felt his soul reaching out farther with each affection-filled thought.

_BlackStar. BlackStar. BlackStar._

And, finally, there was an echo back.  _Kid?_

He smiled.  _There you are, Star. I've been looking for you. Do you have any idea how much worry you cause me?_

There was that warm, rich laughter.  _Enough to give you a symmetrical set of ulcers._

_Star, talk to me._ _**Please.** _

Warmth spread out from the blade in his hands over his whole body in vines until he felt cocooned in heat. When Kid opened his eyes, he was standing in pinkish water, the area covered in white mist, and in front of him on a small chunk of land, was BlackStar, crying. Heedless of the terrain, he ran through the blood-like liquid to the blue-haired teen, "Star!"

BlackStar looked up from his knees drawn to his chest, "Kid..."

He made it to the small landfloe and sat beside BlackStar, "I'm here for you, Star."

In a move that would shock anyone who was only familiar with the assassin's facade, BlackStar threw himself into the death god's arms, "She's gone, Kid! She's gone! God, it's all my fault. Tsubaki's dead and it's all my fault!"

Kid shushed him, "I know, Star. It hurts; I know. But it's not your fault and Tsubaki wouldn't want you to think it was."

"I miss her so much. There's this hole, and it won't stop h-hurting.  _God_ , it hurts so bad!"

"Shh, I know. Get it out, cry it out. It  _will_  get better, I promise."

"And they just keep  _talking_  about it, asking me about it, and they  _won't shut up!_  I can't even grieve!"

Kid's arms tightened, "Take your time, Star. Fuck my father and the rest of the world, you take as much time as you need. I'm here for you and I'm not going anywhere."

444


	5. Chapter 5

555

Kid, Liz, and Patty were all weighed down by the mass of food they each carried. After two days of non-stop... Kid was just going to call it 'meditation'- he was mentally and emotionally spent and more than ready to just pass out. After he made sure BlackStar got something to eat first, that was.

He opened the door to what had become BlackStar's 'private' room, and froze, almost having a mountain of food dumped on him as his partners bumped into him from behind.

"Kid! What the hell!"

"Star?! Star!" Kid slammed the door open the rest of the way and set down his load, "He's gone!"

"Jeez, calm down. He's probably just in the bathroom or something, don't freak out."

" 'Don't freak out'? Did you just tell me not to freak out? BlackStar just lost his partner, and now he's not in his room! I think I'm entitled to freak out about this! This isn't just some asymmetrically tilted picture, Liz; it's BlackStar!"

"Alright already! Patty and I'll search around here, you go look for him. Maybe he's in his or Tsubaki's dorm."

* * *

 

"-turning into a monster."

"Heard he's turning out like the rest of his clan."

"-ate his partner, just like the Kishin."

"My teacher said there's a good chance Shinigami-sama will execute him."

"I liked Tsubaki, but I always knew he'd get her killed someday."

" _My_  teacher said that he turned into a weapon and they were trying to get him to turn back."

"A weapon?! But he's a Meister!"

"He's an abomination is what he is now."

* * *

 

"Do you have any idea the panic you've caused me looking for you?"

BlackStar looked down at the tri-striped raven standing in the empty hallway beneath the crossbeam, "...A lot?" Kid sighed and looked around, "There's a good kick-off point on the wall, there."

The death god nodded, gauged the distance, then disappeared in a blur, reappearing momentarily as he kicked off the wall, then landed beside him silently, "How long have you been up here?"

"Since about the end of the last class."

"Liz, Patty and I have spent the last hour searching the school top to bottom for you; I thought you-"

"Might try to kill myself? I know. Don't worry, I wouldn't give them the satisfaction."

Kid looked away, "You heard."

"I had to at some point. That's not a rumor that's just going to go away, Kid. They hate me. The entire school hates me."

"...I don't hate you. Liz and Patty don't hate you."

"What are Soul and Maka going to think about me killing Tsubaki?"

"You didn't kill Tsubaki, Star, she was already dead. You just killed the Kishin that killed her."

Those green eyes turned to him, "What if there was something I could have done? What if I could have got her back? What if I'd never accepted that mission? What if-"

"What if I'd been born symmetrical and had no reason to ever deal with anything that wasn't? Then I'd never have met you, and I'd never made a friend in my life or become partners with Liz and Patty and they'd still be out on the streets, also without any friends, maybe not even alive. Don't play this game with yourself, Star, there's no way to win."

BlackStar sighed, "Yeah, whatever. So, what are you going to do now that you found me and know I'm not dead?"

"Well talking philosophy -with you of all people- certainly wasn't on the agenda. But I'll settle for getting you back to your room, some food, and maybe even the possibility of sleep sometime in the near future; all of which sound wonderful."

"Yeah, alright. I am kinda tired, but I'm really not hungry."

Kid thought about all that food he and the girls had carried to the infirmary and slumped.  _So much for sleep._

555


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: As you've likely noticed, WE HAVE A CHAPTER! Praise Shinigami-sama, inspiration struck while I was agonizing (also probably thanks to my best friend making fanart!) and we even get a considerably longer chapter than usual! *Parade music* Now, uh, just dun ask about next week... -_-"

666

BlackStar woke up to see Kid sitting in the chair next to the bed, passed out with his head on the matress. He shook his head and ran his fingers through the unmarred raven strands of Kid's unaffected side.  _You idiot, you've got your own bed. I don't need to be babysat._

The death god groaned and burrowed further into the blanket he was laying on, "Here for you... Star."

He smiled even as he rolled his eyes.  _Yeah, take care of the unwanted orphan and let the son of the God of Death neglect himself. I'm surrounded by morons._  He moved his hand down to a shoulder and shook, "Kid, wake up. Come on, get up. Dude, you're drooling."

Nothing.

"You're drooling... un-symmetrically."

Kid jerked and snapped upright, "Wha...?"

BlackStar couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up, snickering at the bewildered look on the raven's face. He trailed off into silence, sitting upright himself, groaning at the unfamiliar strain, "What the?"

Kid helped him, "Careful!"

"Why do I feel like I got hit by a semi?"

"You were more or less completely immobile for nearly a week, then went jumping off walls. Is it any surprise you're feeling a little sore? You haven't even eaten in three days."

"Well  _you_  don't seem to be having any trouble."

"I'm a death god; that's an option for me. You... not so much. You normally inhale -what?- seven-thousand calories a  _day_? No wonder your body's rebelling."

"Huh. Guess that would explain why my stomach's trying to dissolve my spine, too."

Kid smiled and shook his head, "You..." he gave a short bark of laughter and stood up, "Give me a moment, I'll get someone to bring us something. How hungry are you feeling: just a big steak, or the whole cow?"

BlackStar tilted his head in thought, "Maybe not the  _whole_  cow, but at least a haunch."

"You got it." he stuck his head out the door and spoke to someone, then pulled back and closed it, once again taking the chair, "It'll be a bit. While we're waiting... There's something I want to talk about."

BlackStar looked him over warily. They were doing good so far, they'd had at least twenty minutes without saying anything about  _it_ , about  _her_. He wanted to keep that pleasantly numbing self-denial going for as long as possible, and it sounded like whatever Kid was about to say was going to ruin any chance of that.

But it was  _Kid_ , so he sat back against the headboard and sighed, "What is it?"

Kid bit his lip, but didn't speak.

BlackStar scowled, "You're the one that wanted to talk; don't hesitate now."

"Star, my father said-"

"I don't want to talk about your father."

Kid winced. When they'd been children, Shinigami had been BlackStar's father, too. He'd always called him 'Pops', or, when chided for lack of respect, 'Lord Pops-sama'. When speaking with Kid, he'd always referred to Shinigami as 'Dad'. Unless there was an argument, those rules were absolute. That had changed, for reasons Kid wasn't privy to, not long before BlackStar enrolled as a student. Kid always wondered if he'd been the reason that sent BlackStar over the tipping point, that night before BlackStar had started.

_BlackStar flopped on the bean bag and faced him, "So there's this thing I've been wondering about Dad."_

_"And what would that be?"_

_"Well, people are dying, right? That aren't supposed to die. So why doesn't he just -I dunno- not let them die?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"He's the God of Death, right? Has complete control over it. So why doesn't he just not let people get killed? Then we wouldn't have to worry about Kishin at all."_

_"There are two flaws in that theory. One: Father gets all his power from death, so he'd be powerless if people stopped dying. And two: people die in other ways than murder."_

_"Well, he could let the ones die from like old age or something, and let everyone else alone."_

_"And what about capital criminals? Naturally you'd want to allow their deaths."_

_BlackStar didn't pick up on the sardonic tone in Kid's voice, "Well, yeah."_

_The young god sighed, "It wouldn't work, Star. If you make one exception, it becomes easier to make the next one. Don't let people die; well, except for the old, and the accused... What about accidents? People slipping on icy roads? Drunk drivers; do we pardon their victims but let them die? What about simple inattentiveness? If there were no danger, no one would ever try to be careful, and what would happen then?"_

_"I dunno."_

_"Likely a lot more cripples who wished they_ _**had** _ _died. And what about the suicidal? Do we let_ _**them** _ _die? Attempted suicide is a crime, after all."_

_"Argh, stop already! I get it! I don't_ _**like** _ _it, but I get it."_

_"Besides even all of that, Father couldn't get involved if he wanted to: his number one rule is to never interfere with someone's free will. They put themselves under his domain when they attend the academy, but he doesn't allow himself to mess with the world at large."_

_"...Doesn't he have seven Death Scythes out there doing all the interfering for him?"_

_"The Death Scythes are hunting Kishin, not playing around in human affairs."_

_"Mmm. So... would he let you die, or would he save you? You're half human, after all. But you also fall under his domain, right?"_

_"I... don't know. And I'm not sure I want to, it's not pleasant to think about."_

_"He has to. Who else is going to take over if not you?"_

_"There's hardly a time limit, he could have another child. And I thought we weren't talking about this!"_

_BlackStar, sensing a panic attack brewing, turned to stare at the wall, "Hey, look, I think that picture's uneven."_

_He whipped around, "Where?!"_

_He gave BlackStar at least the illusion of privacy and pretended he didn't hear him muttering, "He has to..."_

Kid had seen BlackStar storm from his father's room less than a month later, and he hadn't called him anything paternal since. He understood Star's tenderness on the subject at the moment if he thought, even subconsciously, that Shinigami could have -and hadn't- done something about Tsubaki's death. He sighed, "I understand. But I was told that you  _ate_  the Kishin's soul."

BlackStar glared, "I  _don't_  want to talk about it, Kid. I don't want to talk about  _that_ , about  _her_ , or about Dad! I just wanna forget it ever happened!"

Kid's voice was quiet but implacable, "Her funeral is this weekend, Star. Father wants you to give the eulogy."

Panicked green eyes looked up at him, "I can't do that! I'm not good with words like you or Maka! Nobody would even listen to me, they all think I'm the reason she's d-  _Gone_."

"Star..."

"No! You don't understand, Kid! You can't!" his hands fisted in the sheets, and he lowered his head, hiding his eyes,"You... You don't know what it's like. You have everything, Kid. You have a family, two partners, everything you could ever want waiting for the asking, respect and attention just for being  _you_. But me, I don't have any of that. I'm just a pathetic little orphan who survived only because of pity, everything I ever owned I knew I was allowed only through charity; and who I am? Hah! If people don't despise me outright for my clan, they think I'm an idiot. Tsubaki... she was all I had!" small, wet dark spots dotted the sheets as BlackStar's fists shook, "What do I have now?"

Kid covered BlackStar's hands with his own, "You have me, Star. I promise you that you'll always have me, you always have. I'll never leave you. Where would I be if it weren't for you? You helped make me who I am today; you were always there for me when Father couldn't be. As much as I've always had, I never wanted more than someone who understood me, who could accept me for everything I am and all that I'm not: that was always only ever you." he smiled, "My partners; who half the time I drive to insanity, who I again never would have met if you hadn't forcibly dragged me out of the house that night to have fun, who I never even could have accepted if you hadn't beaten some of my disability out of me over the years. And you know I don't want the worshipful, distant praise of my father; I want  _friends_ , family, and it's because of you that I'm willing to fight for them.

"Where is the man who said he'll surpass God? Where is the assassin that can creep up on Death himself? Where is the star that won't allow the world to ignore him and all he does?" his grip tightened, "BlackStar, you can't let your grief swallow you: I won't let it. I'm here for you, Star, I always will be."

666


	7. Chapter 7

777

Breakfast had been quiet, BlackStar not speaking, and Kid not wanting to force him to. The bell for classes rang, he ignored it, refusing to leave his best friend's bedside. He waited patiently as BlackStar stared at the wall, hand in one of his, lost deeply in thought.

"Kid?"

He was startled by the break in the silence, but hid it well enough, keeping his voice calm and even, "Yes?"

"I'm scared."

His heart clenched at hearing the simple phrase come from the shorter teen. BlackStar never admitted to being afraid, to worrying: that was what Kid did, BlackStar was the one who always set him straight. He tilted his head thoughtfully, acknowledging the statement, "Of the rumors?"

BlackStar shook his head, a tremor going through him, "Of being alone."

For as long as he could remember, Kid had been there. Then the Thompsons had joined them. BlackStar had never had to be alone... until Shinigami had called Kid away to begin his training, and Kid had taken the sisters with him. BlackStar had been all alone then, the students around the school either afraid of him or annoyed by his personality; that fake happy mask he'd put up to hide how lonely and afraid he was.

That had changed with Tsubaki. She'd been sweet and honest and genuine. She didn't pretend to like him, she truly did. She didn't make fun of him for claiming he was going to surpass God, she believed him; pledged herself to help him achieve his dream. She took away the loneliness that Kid's absence had left, the same way that he took hers. They were a perfect pairing, her softness to his brashness, her cool logic to his straight-forward enthusiasm, her quietly shy nature to his proud protectiveness.

It was Tsubaki that made his smiles real, who allowed his masks to fall away. Tsubaki who'd never minded when he spoke endlessly about a certain death god, who didn't mind standing back and smiling when Kid was around and BlackStar practically attached himself to the shinigami's side. Tsubaki who had taught him how to dance just so he could see Kid's flabbergasted expression that he could. Tsubaki who had shared her hopes and dreams with him, of finding her brother, talking to him, bringing him home. Tsubaki who had never wanted to be the heir of her family's talents and abilities, who wanted nothing more than to help people, who hated hurting others. She'd wanted to be a healer or teacher, never certain enough in herself to come to a final decision about it and always changing her mind from one asking to the next.

And now she was  _dead._  His Tsubaki, who'd smiled as his unchecked soul wavelength tore through her slender frame, whose warm body had dissolved in his arms despite his pleas, his desperate hold. His Tsubaki who'd finally spoken to her brother but was unable to convince him, whose gentle spirit had been crushed under the weight of evil that had consumed her brother. His Tsubaki, his sister, who he'd loved more than anybody save one.  _His_  Tsubaki, who had been forced to murder innocents, who'd thanked him for  _killing_  her!

BlackStar didn't even realize the tears were coursing down his face until Kid pulled him into an implacable embrace, "You're  _not_  alone, Star. I swear it, I'm not leaving you ever again."

The words sounded nice, and he wanted more than anything to believe them, but they had a hollow ring. If he wasn't executed outright, if he wasn't expelled... Kid would still have his responsibilities, his own partners, his own missions; and BlackStar would be left alone again, because no one wanted him. No weapon was going to trust a Meister who'd devoured the soul of his own partner, and no Meister was going to partner with a freak like him who'd once been one of their own. BlackStar might as well be a witch, the ostracism would be nearly the same.

The sound that ripped from his throat was less sob than it was choked-off, hysterical laughter. Kid had never lied before, not intentionally, but there was no way he could ever keep this new promise of his. Though if nothing else, it drove home just how alone Tsubaki had been as well; she'd had the same plastic masks as BlackStar had, only ever calming down enough to be herself around him, and possibly Maka. BlackStar was the only one who knew Tsubaki inside and out. He owed her so much:  _he owed it to speak for her_.

"Sure thing, Kid. I'd... Like to be alone for a while. I have a speech to think about, don't I?"

The arms around him loosened, but didn't leave, "Already trying to test me? I'm not going anywhere- Don't argue -I had Liz and Patty bring my books, I can keep up with class from right here. I'm not leaving you, but if you insist, I  _will_  sit quietly in the corner and work on my books so you can think in peace."

BlackStar couldn't help the smile, small though it was and nothing like his old ones, and nodded, "Yeah, alright."  _Thank you, Kid._

777


	8. Chapter 8

888

Eventually, BlackStar got tired of laying in the bed and insisted on being let up so he could at the very least go through his stretches if not his katas. Kid -grudgingly, it should be noted- 'allowed' him to, but not without insisting he help the younger teen get up. BlackStar frowned when his feet hit the floor a lot sooner than he expected them to.  _Huh, short bed?_

Golden eyes blinked, confronted with roguish blue spikes, "Is it just me, or are you taller?"

Feeling his heartbeat kick up, BlackStar nonetheless shook his head, "Taller how?"

"Taller as in I used have well over a foot and a half on you, and now I could rest my chin on your head without so much as leaning down."

They went over to the mirror and BlackStar scoured it thoroughly. Sure enough, his shirt was riding a lot higher on him than it ever had before, and for some reason Kid was staring at him slack-jawed. Fan _tastic_ ,  _just_ great. Not only was he some sort of Meister-Weapon mutant, but he was now some sort of beanstalk freak. As if he hadn't had enough catastrophic changes to his life in the last week. As if he hadn't already had  _more_  than enough reasons to be shunned. As if Stein wasn't already itching to vivisect him. As if-

"Yoo-hoo, Kid." And on top of it all, he'd apparently short-circuited his best friend. "Kid!" he turned and shook the death god, "Hey, symmetry-man, wake up!"

He gave up with a huff, tangling one of his hands in his blue spikes and focusing on breathing. Dammit, it was bad enough that  _he_  was freaking out about this, they couldn't  _both_  lose it at the same time! One of them had to be the anchor while the other lost it, and if anyone deserved to be the one having a mental breakdown at the moment, it was  _him_!

"Aggravating, insufferable, asymmetrical, bastard shinigami fucker." His hand tightened as tears of frustration pricked at his eyes.  _Dammit! I've been nothing but waterworks and I'm sick of it! Stop it! Just stop!_

Gentle hands touched his shoulders, "Star?"

He shrugged off the touch, "I'm fine. Just- leave me alone for a bit. I'm going to work out." his tone of voice and holding-it-together-through-sheer-determination look  _dared_  the young god to argue the point.

Kid nodded, "Okay, I'm going to get us some lunch; alright?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

BlackStar slowly counted to ten after Kid left, then went to the door,  _knowing_  that Kid wouldn't have really left him alone. Luck was on his side, though, and the bodyguard on the other side was exactly the one he'd been hoping for, "Hi, BlackStar!"

"Hey, Patty, can you keep a secret from Kid and your sister?"

She nodded, "Sure can!"

"And could you do me a favor?"

"Yup!"

"Can you bring me a good, sharp pair of scissors -without telling Kid or Liz- and the bag of clothes from my room?" she tilted her head thoughtfully, and he immediately knew what the issue was, "I promise to stay here, but if you could please hurry up before Kid gets back..."

"Alright. Just... don't go anywhere, or Liz will be really mad at me."

He nodded and waited as she left, leaning against the doorframe. It didn't take the little -well, that was a strange thought given they'd used to be nearly the same height...- blonde long to come back, holding out the bag in one hand, and a pair of silver kitchen shears in the other. BlackStar thanked her for both and retreated into the room, hiding them in the bathroom.

After making sure Kid wouldn't happen across the bundle by accident, he started his work out. How long until Tsubaki's funeral? What were they considering the weekend,  _precisely_? Sunday? Saturday? Or as early as Friday:  _tomorrow?_  It wasn't like Kid to fail in pinpointing specifics, especially such important specifics. Not that he'd put it past Kid to leave out anything potentially upsetting; and Kid knew him well enough to know exactly how far he could be pushed before he either broke or pushed back.

Kid returned just as BlackStar finished his push-ups, getting used to the changes in his body, "When is it happening?"

The white-striped raven placed the trays on the table he'd previously been using for his school work, "Day after tomorrow."

He was quiet as they worked their way through the mountains of food, his appetite returning with a vengeance. But the silence became oppressing once Patty volunteered to take their trays back to the cafeteria, "I need a few things from home. Incense, a tablet..."

Kid looked up at him in shock, blinking at him, " _You're_  going to make the marker?!"

BlackStar stared calmly, refusing to look away, "I'm part of House Shinigami, am I not? I have the training. Furthermore, I have the right, the obligation, to make it myself. What would you do if it were Liz or Patty?"

Kid gave in with a sigh and nodded, "I'll inform Father, and I'll bring the materials."

888


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, by lovies! A quick word from your author. Here's our new chapter, and a special thanks goes out to QueenOfDarkHearts for her suggestion on Maka's behavior: it really helped inspire me (yes, my wonderful readers: YOU help keep this story alive and thriving and without you it's doomed to petering out and fading away!). I love all of my readers, adore my reviewers, and put my serial reviewers up on a pedestal for worship; please keep the ideas and opinions coming (for some glorious reason, this pairing seems to inspire longer, more thoughtful reviews than the one-to-two word responses for SoMa fans: I'm so proud of you all because it really helps push the story along!)!
> 
> P.S. This is officially (even without the AN) the longest chapter to date for this fic, and I hope to keep it going (ideas, inspiration [hint, hint] and fangirlingness allowing) into the future. Without further ado: Enjoy! (Also, tell me what you think about the ending, and what you think happens!)

999

Kid sat back, worry etched in every line of his body, as BlackStar ignored the world for the sole purpose of crafting the special memorial only those of the Death family could. Kid remembered the day they'd both been sat down and had this explained to them: neither of them had much cared for it then; Kid for the blatant lack of symmetry, and Star for the still patience and quiet dedication the craft required.

So it was with silent awe that the young death god watched his friend lit by the dim, cloudy light bleeding through the window as he worked with sure motions on the darker-than-black stone. The hands didn't falter even once as they, by memory alone, scored the deceased's family members and history; Tsubaki's every accomplishment gaining a unique character among the growing columns of pictographs.

Obsidian-smooth originally, the stele that would rest in the Shibusen graveyard took shape. BlackStar had started almost as soon as he'd gotten up that morning at dawn, after a small and hasty breakfast; and had yet to quit though it was -Kid checked- a little past noon already. Careful not to startle him and ruin the precious carving, Kid called out to him, "Star, it's time to take a break. It won't do Tsubaki any good if you mess up because you neglected to take care of yourself. Come have lunch with me." BlackStar set down his tools with great and obvious reluctance, but it didn't escape Kid's notice how his hands shook and his fingers twitched from cramping. He sighed and made his way over, taking one of the injured hands in his own and massaging the contracting fingers, "When was the last time you practiced carving for any length of time?"

The green-eyed boy shrugged, "...Last festival. Ts-  _She_  asked me to carve the signs for the stalls since I knew the kanji. I was the only that could at the time, you were away for a while then."

"I remember that. Liz and Patty were mesmerized when we came back in the middle of a full festival. How long did you work on them?"

A small smirk made the shinigami's heart lift, "Three days straight. I couldn't lift so much as a pen for a week afterwards."

Kid smiled at the reminiscent look on Star's face, the moment interrupted by a knock at the door. He turned towards it, never releasing the shaking hand in his grasp, "Come in!" Expecting Liz or Patty, they were surprised at the head of white hair that peeked in, "Soul!"

Even Soul's usual 'cool' attitude was subdued, "Hey."

"Hey. How did your mission go?"

Soul sighed, "It was a complete bust. We were only just starting to get somewhere when we were recalled. They had to bring in the local Death Scythe to handle it while we were put on the first plane back."

BlackStar looked up, frowning, "Recalled?"

Kid answered, "We're a school, and a student died. I wouldn't be surprised if Father recalled every student and put the Death Scythes on patrol." At the others' looks, he shrugged, "Father's version of Marshal Law. All the parents are going to be calling in, upset and worried, even though there's really nothing they can do. All the students are, for the sake of law, emancipated and fully disclosed about the dangers of this profession. They won't be able to sue or pull their children out, but I bet Father will keep everyone close to home for the time being, until things settle down a bit and everyone has a chance to grieve. Tsubaki was well-liked."

Soul nodded, watching BlackStar, "Star." green eyes switched from the blanket in his lap to the waiting weapon, "Sorry for your loss. I know what you're going through, and I'm here if you need me."

Kid finally addressed the conspicuous absence in the room, "Where is she?"

"In her room."

"How's she holding up?"

Soul gave a despairing sigh, "Honestly? Not at all. I've never seen Maka like this before. She's asleep right now -I wouldn't have left her if she were awake- I think all the crying tired her out. What about yours?"

Unnoticed by the two standing, BlackStar tensed. God, how stupid could he be? Here Kid was, trying to comfort  _him_ , when his  _own_ partners probably needed him. How could that have so completely escaped him? He was hogging Kid all to himself when Patty and Liz needed him just as much. Did he even  _know_  how his weapons were holding up? Had he seen them other than to use them as maids to bring food?

_Stupid, stupid, stupid-_

They didn't get to speak for a minute because the Thompsons chose just that moment to actually come in with lunch, glancing around at the rising awkward tension and setting the trays on the table, taking seats to watch, "Don't mind us."

Kid motioned to them, "Here, you can ask them yourself. Liz, Patty: how well are you two doing?"

Liz shrugged, "We had a good cry, we're ready for the funeral tomorrow, and we're fine."

Soul blinked at them, his fingers curling into fists, "You're 'fine'? One of our friends  _died_  and you're  _fine_?"

Dispite her place sitting at the table, Liz managed to give the impression of looking down her nose at the other weapon, "Yes, Soul: we're  _fine_. Patty and I grew up on the streets, and the first rule you learn is that people die. You accept it and move on."

Kid blinked and saw Soul leaned down with Liz half-hauled from her seat, the elder Thompson's hand out to stop a concerned Patty from coming to her rescue, "'Accept it and move on'?"

Liz didn't flinch, didn't even blink, " _Yes_. You can't afford to think with your heart when you live on the street, Soul; it's a death sentence. You learn quickly to make attachments only seldomly, and you learn harshly that when severed you better be able to cauterize that wound before it bleeds you to death and takes  _you_ , too. I liked Tsubaki, she was a good friend, and I'm going to miss her; but I'm not going to let her death cripple me. We have no time to waste on the dead -no  _right_ \- when the living still need us."

Crimson and stormy grey-blue clashed, and Soul finally set her back down, turning away with a scoff; though everyone in the room could see the words had an effect on him, "I'm going to check on Maka again. Later."

* * *

Maka was as small as she could make herself on her bed, knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them so tightly she was developing bruises. She was out of tears at the moment, staring unseeingly across the room, two halves of herself locked in a desperate battle within.

BlackStar was her  _friend_ , one of the only ones flat-chested, book-worm Maka had. There had always been a bit of tension and rivalry between them because of her serious and studious nature and his spontaneity and care-free attitude, but they'd still been close; like cousins -or as Soul and Tsubaki had often remarked, bickering siblings. And she knew how close Tsubaki and BlackStar had been: they'd been inseparable, closer than some twins. She knew how much it must hurt BlackStar to lose her, Maka knew how much it had hurt when her parents' marriage broke up; she should go offer her regards, share their loss together: that's what friends did.

But there was an unpleasant, disconcertingly large, part of her that wouldn't let her. Because no matter what, it was  _BlackStar_  that was the reason Tsubaki wasn't there anymore. That part of her whispered that he deserved all the pain he felt and more for taking her first female friend from her, for  _killing_  Tsubaki. BlackStar hadn't just failed to protect her: he'd killed her! With his own two hands! How did it feel for him, to unleash his soul wavelength intentionally at his partner, to feel the devastating power rip through her?

Her fingers tightened, digging painfully into her upper arms.

And to compound his sin, BlackStar had  _devoured_  her. He'd not just done what no Meister had the right to in eating a soul, he'd eaten his Weapon! His own partner! What had he possibly been thinking with such actions? To preserve some small part of his beloved friend... or for more sinister purposes? She'd seen BlackStar in his sheer determination: he'd previously said that getting more powerful was all that mattered, that he'd do  _anything_  to win. And in that case, was it premeditated, or had he merely seized the opportunity when it was presented to him?

She'd sighed and complained about BlackStar's pranks and rule-breaking, but she'd ultimately put up with it -exasperated or not- because they were friends and it was essentially harmless. But this was more than just a broken  _rule_ , BlackStar hadn't cheated on a test or botched a pair-mission, he'd shattered one of the very tenets that they all  _lived_  by. He'd broken something held more sacred than  _laws_ , something that no DWMA student had broken in all the years the school had existed. Something that had only been broken by the Kishin in his mad reach for power...

Maka hadn't cared -at first hadn't even known, and still hadn't cared when she found out- about BlackStar's clan. They had strayed, and they'd paid for their sins with their lives. She'd never judged him for those things he'd never had control of like some of the other students had -did- but now she was wondering if the others had been able to see something she'd blinded herself to.

But then the other, forgiving side reared its head again and scolded -loudly- that BlackStar had  _always_  cared more for his friends, had  _always_  made the right choice when he'd had to. He hadn't killed Mifune and the Witch Angela, even though no one would have so much as censured him for it; he'd walked away because, in his mind, it was the honorable thing, the  _right_  thing to do.  _That_  BlackStar would never have done something like this... right?

Maka curled further. She just didn't know what to think anymore! She didn't know who to blame, or if there  _was_  anyone to blame, and the one person she could have talked about it with was gone! She missed her friend. Badly.

She sniffled as she felt Soul climb on the bed with her and pull her back against his chest, "Hey, Tiny. Don't think too hard, alright? And don't let your head-bound nature cost you a second friend, 'kay?"

Maka wasn't quite sure what he meant, but she nodded anyway, sinking into his embrace and taking comfort in her partner.

* * *

BlackStar's fingers tightened around the sink as he locked eyes with his reflection in the mirror.  _This is the face of the person who killed his best friend._  He bent double as his stomach clenched and it was all he could do to to keep from heaving.  _Tsubaki!_  The whisper glided across his mind like a poisonous shadow:  _Murderer._

BlackStar's jaw ached from the pressure he put on it to lock the pained sounds behind his teeth.  _I'm so sorry. I'll fix it, I swear._

He checked the room one more time, seeing Kid passed out in the large chair and knowing the death god was as good as comatose once he was out. He closed the bathroom door behind him, locking it, and picked up the scissors.  _Time to stop being so childish and grow up._

999


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: For those who've wanted to ask but haven't and in honor of the two that have: My update schedule for both my Soul Eater fics is every Friday, sometime between two and six Eastern Standard Time. I will warn you when I'm running out of inspiration.
> 
> Asking for updates, while kind of flattering, is not likely to actually net you them. Better way to get the updates you want: Give me ideas for them! ANYTHING is accepted: funny, serious, romantic. Crack- that right there's a dream sequence, maybe the character got drugged and hallucinated, maybe they have an epiphany about their life from it. Contribute to keeping the fic going! (I am highly disappointed more of you didn't answer my Author Questions at the end of last chapter.) Also be CERTAIN to tell me about how I do in action scenes: I have big plans for the end of this fic and I need to practice and know what I'm doing well and badly on.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for your time.
> 
> Extended note: We're finally at the long-awaited Tsubaki-funeral chapter! PLEASE tell me how I did on BlackStar's characterization in here and what you think of the speech; you have no idea how long I worked to make it both meaningful, and BlackStar-esque.

101010

Kid knocked on the door to BlackStar's room, clothed in his full shinigami attire, the mask off for the moment, "Star?" He'd been nervous when BlackStar had told him to take the completed tribute to their father and had then gotten ready from behind the bathroom door. It was foolish: BlackStar was the one that had to go out there and give the eulogy in front of everyone, and here Kid was the one with anxiety threaded through his system and his heart threatening to jump from his chest.

The door opened and the shinigami lost the ability for speech. For a moment, he lost the ability for coherent thought all together. BlackStar was wearing a sleeveless white top with four silver buckles on the front, his arms completely wrapped up, and a white scarf around his neck and the lower half of his face. Kid forced his mouth to work, hoping his brain would catch up, "Blue?" he asked, referring to BlackStar's pants.

"Pastel. She liked pastels."

The reason they were both standing there brought back to the forefront of his mind kick-started Kid's thought process again, only for it to derail when he looked up, "Star,  _what_ did you do to your hair?!"

BlackStar ran a hand through the shorter locks, "Cut it. I left the scissors on the sink if you want to get them later."

"...Do I need to get them later?"

BlackStar pushed past him, "Let's get going."

"It's raining outside. You should take an umbrella."

The blue haired weapon gave a scoff-like huff, "Bring on the rain."

Kid donned his mask as to perform the services just before they stepped out (and it was just as Kid said: rain quietly falling, and mist covering the grounds in a white fog; BlackStar looked like a lost soul as he emerged from it, the figure of Death next to him not helping diminish the effect). They had to separate outside, Kid going to stand beside Tsubaki's newly-hewn, glossy, pitch-black tomb stone and softly give the rites. Those in attendance, what must have been a third of the whole school, started to line up in morbid black rows, and BlackStar stood out like a sore thumb as he made his way through them all, horrified and disgusted words following him when it quickly became apparent that he was the only one with the 'disrespect' and the 'bad taste' to wear white to a funeral.

His face darkened,  _Morons._  It didn't escape his notice that Maka was avoiding him, either, hiding behind Soul and using him as shield so that their green eyes never so much as made contact. BlackStar thought he should probably feel more than the hollow, throbbing  _nothing_ inside of him. The flowery words were going through his mind like he'd practiced; a memorial to his best friend that was supposed to honor her, supposed to be able to resonate with everyone in this crowd just like how Tsubaki herself always had.

 _Except she hadn't_. Tsubaki had always been hiding, had spoken to other Meisters both before and after partnering with him, and had never once been able to resonate with any of them. Suddenly BlackStar was no longer sad, no longer numb: he was  _angry_. All these fools were speaking about him, whispering about him, commenting on how  _he_  was disrespecting Tsubaki's memory by wearing what he was.

They didn't know that Tsubaki hated the color black, that all soft pastels were her favorite, they didn't know that a huge memorial with weeping and crying was the last thing Tsubaki would ever want. Tsubaki would want something calm and quiet and intimate, just between her best friends, something where they laughed instead of cried; where they remembered all the good times and all the happy memories that she'd helped make and been part of. They didn't know.  _They didn't know_ _ **Tsubaki**_. His hands fisted.  _Bastards._

And as BlackStar reached the podium and stood before the crowd, seething, he glared out over them and  _dared_  them to mutter some more, to so much as  _think_  about him when they were all supposed to be here for  _Tsubaki_. His flowery speech died a swift and violent death.

"I was supposed to stand up here and give you some stupid speech about how we're not alone here, and Tsubaki meant as much to each of us here. But that's not really true, and I'm not going to lie to you just to sooth your guilty conscious, because not a single fucking one of you really knew Tsubaki." he ignored their mutters, taking heart from the hidden smirk he just  _knew_  Kid was giving him, "If you didn't know Tsubaki's favorite drink on a cold day was coffee with chocolate syrup and marshmallows, then you didn't know Tsubaki. If you didn't know that she wanted to be a healer even though she got queasy at the sight of any blood but her own, then you didn't know Tsubaki. If you didn't know that she could handle spiders and beetles and bugs, but got creeped out and screamed at the sight of a walking stick, then you didn't know Tsubaki.

"So you see, not one of you knew who Tsubaki really was, and you're all idiots because of that, because there has never been a person more worth knowing. There's never been a kinder girl who would help you out without being asked even if you'd bullied her, that would sit by and tutor you for hours even if it meant her own work going undone, that would give you her own lunch when you forgot yours even if it meant she'd go hungry.

"Tsubaki wasn't a big star: she was a cornerstone to every life she touched. She didn't have sparkle and flash, and she couldn't stand out in a crowd of two to save her soul; but then, she didn't have to. She was always there when you needed her, when you didn't even know that you did, and she had the ability to soothe away even the worst fears with gentle hands and a soft voice. Our lives will go on, no less brightly or colorful without her in them; but there will always be something missing; and if you don't know that, on some deep level beyond standing here in the stupid rain for a girl you can't quite remember, then you didn't know Tsubaki... and I pity you for that."

There was more muttering that he ignored as he left, the crowd parting for him as though afraid to touch him. That was fine: he was completely through with all of them anyway, making his way towards the stand of trees and the other waiting group, dressed in black suits that they looked unnatural in. BlackStar took a deep breath as a single figure stood out to him.

Sanjuro Nakatsukasa. If facing the students was something BlackStar would have avoided if he could, this meeting was exponentially more so. He wanted to run away and hide.  _Courage, Star._

Swallowing his pride, he bowed to the turned back of the Japanese man, "Sanjuro-sama."

The face that turned to him was weathered in sorrow, but there was an inherent strength and compassion that made BlackStar's stomach clench. That was always a look he'd associated with  _her_... now he knew where she'd gotten it from. Sanjuro took in his submissive posture, his hunched shoulders and clenched fists, and then in an utterly  _Tsubaki_  display, he smiled, "You must be my daughter's much-talked-about partner: BlackStar."

He glanced up at the man, "I- Yeah." he straightened up and looked away, "Sanjuro-sama-"

"None of that, BlackStar-kun. You were my daughter's precious partner and first true friend. Please, just Sanjuro is fine."

"No, it's not. I..." dammit, this was harder than he'd even thought it was going to be; and he hadn't thought it'd be a walk in the park to begin with! He couldn't even force the words out of his throat.

Sanjuro's expression softened, "Tsubaki told me so much about you."

"Sh-she did?"

"Hai, we exchanged letters often. There wasn't a one where your name failed to come up. You were a constant source of courage and confidence for her, and I thank you for that."

"It-it was nothing. Ts-she was..." Kind, gentle, patient.  _Say it! It's just a name; say it!_  "Tsubaki was my best friend, she was more than that to me; she was my partner."

Sanjuro smiled sadly, "She told me about how you were always trying to get stronger; constantly looking for ways to push yourself further. She said it was why she had to get stronger, too. I have to ask, why would one as young as you seek so much power?"

BlackStar flinched as if he'd been struck. The man might as well have just by-passed these word games BlackStar despised and asked what he was really thinking:  _What was the ambition my daughter died for?_  He  _wanted_  to be angry, to be furious at the implied accusation in the question; except he couldn't, because it wasn't an accusatory tone, and it was Tsubaki's kind eyes looking back at him.

"You know, she asked me that same thing, once, before pledging her metal to mine."

_"BlackStar?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"I was wondering... Well, I know you want to surpass God, but... why?"_

"Did she?"

"And I'll tell you the same thing I told her."

_"There's someone I want- no, someone I_ _**need** _ _to protect, and surpassing god is the only way I'll ever be strong enough to keep them safe. So no matter what I have to do to get stronger, I will: I'll do anything to protect that person."_

"I see... Yes, that is something Tsubaki would have approved of."

 _Now, tell him._ "Sanjuro, I failed to protect Tsubaki. It's my fault she died."

The man was visibly surprised, "BlackStar-kun... I know you and my daughter were close, but is  _not_  your fault she died. The blame for that, I'm afraid, falls solely on my failings as a father to Masamune which allowed him to stray from the true path. You were there for her, and you did as she would have wished. You have single-handedly salvaged the honor of two Nakatsukasa heirs, and I thank you for it. Whatever failures you feel yourself accountable for concerning my children, know that I forgive them."

BlackStar was both touched and incredulous at the blanket forgiveness he received from the Nakatsukasa patriarch. He didn't believe he deserved it, but the man in front of him had just lost both of his children and he wasn't about to argue with him at their funeral. He bowed deeply, receiving a shallower one in return, and walked away.

* * *

Maka watched as the Blue-haired boy approached, her throat tight enough it threatened to choke her. This wasn't the BlackStar she knew: the annoyingly enthusiastic boy who looked to surpass god, and let everyone in the vicinity know it. This taller, subdued young man was a stranger to her. He didn't look like a Kishin, he didn't look evil: he looked  _broken_.

She felt another round of tears mist her eyes and shook her head, hands tightening on her umbrella as she fought them back while he got closer. When he was less than a foot away, she opened her mouth to try and force the words out.

Without ever looking at her, barely even pausing in his step, BlackStar stopped her, "Don't. She wouldn't want you to lie."

Maka fell to her knees on the wet ground and didn't try to hold back the tears anymore, feeling a tearing in her heart and wondering if she just lost not one, but  _two_  friends. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and rocked back and forth, not even stifling her sobs.  _I'm sorry, BlackStar. Tsubaki would never blame you. I'm sorry!_

Another pair of arms surrounded her and Maka turned her face into the warmth she knew better than any other, crying in Soul's arms, for both of her lost friends.

101010


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Potentially (VERY) triggering content this chapter! Proceed with caution!

111111

He felt like a ghost wandering the halls of Shibusen: lost, aimless, and so,  _so_  alone...

BlackStar had known the fragile bubble he'd been dwelling in since that day would eventually burst. Now it had, and just as he'd thought, he was once again alone. Kid had  _tried_ , but the teachers had all been adamant: the students needed a sense of normalcy to move on; which meant classes resuming, and  _missions_  resuming. If anyone had asked, BlackStar would have been more than happy to tell them where they could shove their normalcy.

Kid had been personally assigned three missions so far this week, the threat of action being taken against them both the only thing that succeeded in prying him from BlackStar's side. It wouldn't surprise Star at all to find out the teachers were deliberately keeping them apart, fearful that he might taint Kid with his perversities.

They hadn't needed to get him to avoid Maka (and therefore Soul), because he had  _no_  desire to see the silent accusation in the ash-blonde's eyes. He already  _knew_  it was all his fault, he didn't need reminding of the fact every moment of the day! Maka might not say anything (she wasn't one for confrontations), but it would be there every time they saw each other; that  _look_...

His grades had taken a nose-dive without Tsubaki there to help him, and Kid was being run ragged so he didn't even bring it up. Given there was still a potential death sentence hanging above his head, he didn't see the point in really studying anyway. What was more concerning, that he also hadn't told Kid about, was the groups (gangs) of students walking around the school in search of him. He'd gotten caught by surprise exactly  _once_ , explaining away the bruise on his cheek with the excuse that he was still getting used to being so much taller (an excuse that worked because, for the record, the stairs had kicked his ass three times already that Kid had seen).

BlackStar had, in an attempt solely to get Kid to stop worrying about him, tried to find someone to partner with. Somehow the word 'failure' just wasn't strong enough to encompass the catastrophe the whole situation had been. Pushover Hiro had turned him down, loudly, in the middle of the hall, which led to discussions (hazings) of how worthless a partner BlackStar was as a whole; all the bad attitude of Excalibur without even the legendary weapon's ability to Resonate with everyone.

Akane, the only other one in the school with ties to the star clan, had glared at him coldly and flatly refused to be the Meister of anyone walking down the path the rest of the Star clan had tread. Both the Meisters and Weapons of the NOT classes were terrified of him and ducked into any near-by rooms or corners when they saw him coming. Things had hit the all-time low when, desperately, he'd gone back to Excalibur in a final attempt to work as a Meister again, only to have the weapon refuse him as well. When the weapon who'd been searching for a wielder for decades and was willing to take anyone that fulfilled his list was the one to refuse to partner with you...

BlackStar leaned against the wall, his white outfit almost blending into it, palm covering his eye as his fingers tightened in his hair, trying to hold back tears. He was  _not_  going to cry again! Tsubaki... Losing her, that was worth crying over. Knowing he'd never get to see her smiling face again,  _that_  was worth crying over. But  _this_ , this frustration, this hopelessness, this was  _nothing_  and he  _wouldn't_  fucking cry about nothing!

He turned around and blindly lashed out, his fist hitting the wall hard enough to crack the plaster, the hollow pain rolling up his arm and through his shoulder, dulling his over-active mind. He did it again, and again, and again; throwing his full power into every strike, the empty hall echoing with the soft sound of the small section of wall crumbling. The increased tenderness told him he was bruising his knuckles, but it was more of an afterthought than actual warning, and he only punched harder in response.

_I. Will. Not. CRY! I won't. I won't!_

He reared back as the liquid threatened to overflow and put  _everything_  into the next hit, the wall before him crumbling to dust as his soul wavelength vibrated through the structure and tore it apart, revealing an empty classroom on the other side. BlackStar panted with exertion, his hand -his whole arm- throbbing in glorious pain with each heartbeat. He inspected it dully, noticing red speckles starting to grow from the abuse of hitting solid stone repeatedly. But he felt better. The damning voices and eyes in his head were quieter now.

Not caring about damages to the school or classes he might be missing, he made his way back to his room. The dusty, messy dorm he hadn't slept in since Tsubaki had died, since he'd been released from the infirmary. Thankful for the private bathrooms allotted to Shibusen students (privacy was a requirement for such volatile adolescents with weapon capabilities), he retreated to it and dug under the sink for that pair of scissors Kid hadn't taken from him.

Absent-mindedly, as he had been doing the last few days, he started flipping them around on his fingers, the dual blades opening and closing with sharp 'snick' sounds. Open, closed. It was a soothing sound, and not all that different from working with a butterfly knife. Not really looking or paying much attention, he flipped them around properly and slid them under the bandages of his right arm, cutting them away- they were ruined with blood stains anyway, so he could fully inspect the damage he'd done to himself.

His breath escaped in a hiss as he flexed his fingers, the motion sending shooting pains right up his arm and into his brain. Hell, he might have broken something in there. His knuckles were mangled and abrased, and he couldn't help the morbid smile.  _Ha, looks like I just spent a half-hour beating a cinder block._  He expertly flipped the shears again and laid them on the counter so he could get out the rubbing alcohol and disinfect the wounds like Tsubaki had done for him so many times before. He winced at the sting, almost able to see her before him.

Tsubaki smiled up at him as she knelt to see the scrapes, gently,  _so_  gently, dabbing at them with a soaked cotton ball, shushing him when he jerked in her hold. With steady, kind fingers, she carefully put antibiotic cream on them before wrapping them in soft gauze and wrappings, going so far as to kiss the end result like a real big sister and making his cheeks flame before patting her knees and standing up to beam down at him.  _"All better."_

BlackStar blinked away the blurriness of his vision, hand jerking as he poured the stinging antiseptic over his clenched and shaking fist, watching the red-turned-pink blood swirl in with the clear liquid as it ran down the drain. God, it hurt so much. He bit his lip as the tears threatened again, clenching his fist and sending lighting pain shooting through his system; but it wasn't enough, he could feel the tears still.

_Stop! Stop it! I WON'T CRY!_

Frantically, he grabbed the scissors again and flipped them open with a flick of his fingers, pressing the blade of one end into the trembling flesh of his forearm, the sharpened edge singing with the warning, the promise, of a sharper, soothingly stronger pain than that of his -fucking  _broken_ \- heart. He'd promised Kid he wouldn't  _kill_  himself, but he was  _going_  to die if he didn't find a way to get this damn  _hurt_  out, and he refused to cry for those bastards that were taking joy in torturing him! He wouldn't!

"Hahhh!" he pressed and pulled.

BlackStar let a breath of relief at the instantaneous feeling of numbness that followed on the swift heels of pain. He stared in wonder at the gaping wound on his arm, the shears dropping to the floor, and tilted his head.  _Huh..._  How odd. He'd never had much chance to think about it before -battle went too fast to focus on what you were feeling- but it hadn't been a cutting pain. What a strange thought; that cutting didn't leave a cutting pain. It burned, like a branding iron, a dull, hot pain. Not sharp, not stabbing, and not  _cutting_.

The red trailing down his arm in streams was equally fascinating to watch, as he felt it taking all the pent-up, painful, extra emotion with it. The hurt in his chest seemed to drain right out of him with his blood to pool on the floor. He blinked sleepily. That was...  _a lot_  of emotion; a lot of blood. Maybe... too much blood? Hmm. How deep had he gone?

He staggered in a sudden bout of dizziness and grabbed at the sink, his blood-slick fingers slipping on the porcelain surface and tilting his entire world precariously before he grunted in pain from his head hitting the floor. The ceiling spun above him, the dim light in his little bathroom seeming all-too-bright all of a sudden as he squinted at it, feeling like he was spinning even though he was pretty sure he was lying still on the floor; and he felt oddly nauseous, even though he  _loved_  spinning rides and it was always Tsubaki who got sick on them...

"Oh, my god! BlackStar!"

His vision was dim and foggy (but at least it wasn't from tears) as the shadowed form bent over him. He felt a small, feminine hand reach out to hold his cheek, "Tsu-Tsubaki? 'M sorry."  _Idiot. Cut too deep. Fuck. Sorry, Kid; looks like neither of us could keep our promise..._

With the last of his strength, BlackStar reached for the face he couldn't see properly, his numb fingers brushing her cheek, before the darkness consumed him.

111111

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait! *Mob halts* BEFORE you kill me... I just want to give props to Zoete9 for her correct guess on the situation at hand (the scissors, good guess, Zo!). For your trouble, Zo-chan, you get a magic cookie from our guest host of the week: Kirby! (>-'.'-)>O
> 
> So review and tell me what you think (preferably without crucifiction) and earn magic cookies of your own! *Winces* Okay; you can proceed with the lynching...


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news: This should be the last horrendously depressing chapter for a while, and I have some KidStar interaction (planned) for chapter 14... (So PLEASE feed Phred the Plot Bunny if you want to get there!)
> 
> Also: Magic Cookie of the week goes to QueenOfDarkHearts for her perfect guess on what's coming up this chap. Good job, Queeny, keep it up!

121212

"BlackStar."

He knew that voice better than his own. God, he really had killed himself.  _Moron. What's Kid going to do without you?! You promised him!_  He covered his face with his arm, not even wanting to look at her. He knew, he _knew_ , Tsubaki would be so disappointed in him. What kind of idiot is so weak as to hurt themself? Dammit, maybe the world was better off without his stupidity in it.

"BlackStar..."

And there it was! The 'you could have done better' tone. He winced, waiting for the hit with a fan or the sting of a shuriken to the head that were his usual punishments for doing something so stupid. None came, and that was almost worse.  _If she says I've suffered enough, I'm going to fucking cry again._

Wherever he was, he was dead, and that meant she had an eternity to stay there until he finally worked up the courage to acknowledge her. And even if he was afraid, there was really nothing he wanted more than to see her again. God, he'd missed her  _so_  much...

Eyes closed, he sat up, noting the odd feel of his feet being in liquid, and swung around to look at her. His eyes almost fell out of his head at what he saw, "Ts-Tsubaki?!" His voice cracked embarrassingly, but not nearly as embarrassingly as what was standing before him, his face slowly catching fire, "You look..."  _Naked._  "D-different..."

There stood Tsubaki,  _his_  Tsubaki, as naked as the day she was born, as she was all the times he accidentally peeped on her and had her punish him for. The vine-like markings on her skin the same as when he'd last seen her...  _alive_... and he swallowed hard. Shinigami, she looked...  _Beautiful_. Ebony hair down from her signature ponytail, starry blue eyes gleaming with concern, head tilted in that way that was completely and utterly  _her._

How could he have forgotten so much in the two weeks he'd been without her? But here she was, the calm to his cool, the brain to his brawn; the innocent, over-looked sky to his blazing star. How had he forgotten that little worried tilt to her lips? How had he forgotten the way her shoulders hunched just slightly when she waited for an answer? What the hell kind of fucking deficient partner was he?  _How_  could he ever have forgotten a single thing about her?

Tsubaki smiled at him in that way that, while not lighting up a room, made everything in it just feel  _right_ , "I felt your torment. What's wrong?"

His elation and sorrow at seeing her again crashed down around him, pulling him harshly back into the world he'd been trying to escape (temporarily, but once again, like everything else in his life, he'd fucked up) and he scoffed, "I'm a Meister with no weapon, a weapon without a wielder, and an assassin no one will hire. I've failed in my duties, done things I've sworn I'd never do, and I'm unwillingly dragging my friends with me on my way to hell. But, you know, other than that, I'm good." He sighed, "I'm failing on every single front of my life."

Tsubaki gave him that chastising-but-worried little frown of hers, "That's not true, BlackStar."

BlackStar wanted to frown. Something was wrong here. That denial, coming from his other half, should have filled him with warmth, joy. It didn't. He didn't feel like it was undeserved (even though he knew it was), it felt... flat. Something was  _very_  wrong.

He leaned back nonchalantly and glanced at her sideways, "You know, those words would be a lot more comforting if they weren't coming from the -possibly hallucinated- transformed ghost of the partner I  _killed_." he chided mildly.

 _There!_  Tsubaki's sorrowful expression was just a hair too late in coming. Her eyes a moment too slow in sheening with tears, the head-shake a nanosecond beyond what it should be. He was  _dead_ , she was dead. They were together, their souls should be singing, pinging off each other in a perfect harmony at their proximity, they should be  _resonating_.  _But they weren't._  As painfully beautiful as the image before him was; BlackStar knew now, deep inside; that's all it was. This thing, whatever it was, wasn't Tsubaki.

He was furious. At himself, for even for a moment believing the fraud, for not seeing instantly that this wasn't the one whose soul rang only for him. And at this imitator he was  _enraged_. How  _dare_  they think to try and replace his Tsubaki?! How  _dare_  they even  _think_  to take her form?

BlackStar's hand fisted, the rest of him staying relaxed, and disappeared in a flash, tackling the fake Tsubaki into the blood-like liquid around them, not caring that neither of them had a stitch on, his hands wrapping around the elegant (phony), pretty (fake), throat, "Who the fuck are you, and what the  _hell_  are you doing looking like her?!"

Shock (Tsubaki's eyes didn't widen in shock for more than a second before narrowing to think the situation through, she didn't try to gain sympathy by extending the expression) and confusion (Tsubaki looked  _down_ , not directly ahead when she was confused about something) flickered across the starry-sky eyes that were just a  _shade_  too dark for his partner, "Bla-"

" _Don't_. You  _bastard_ , thinking you could  _ever_  replace her! I  _know_  Tsubaki! I know everything about her! I know what makes her tick and what makes her giggle, what makes her squeamish and what makes her scream. I  _know_  my Tsubaki, and you're  _not Tsubaki!_  Who the hell are you and how dare you steal her form?! Answer me!" He held the imposter underwater (or whatever it was), watching the bubbles surface, before pulling them back up, "Are you Masamune?"

Flat blue eyes looked at him assessingly, nothing like his partner's and obviously not even trying anymore. BlackStar watched a hand reach out to touch his chest warily, breath leaving him in a rush as a gentle push launched him across the deserted, red-watered, dead tree-ridden landscape, where he landed with a great splash. He pushed himself back to his feet and glared at the imposter as (he? She?) they watched him, "I am. I am Masamune. And I am Tsubaki."

"Liar!"

"I am both of them. I am Nakatsukasa Masamune, and Nakatsukasa Tsubaki... and Nakatsukasa Yuri. I am all of them."

BlackStar shook, "Who. The hell. Are you?"

Tsubaki's form wavered, like a reflection in the water when a stone is dropped in, then changed -grew- to something not even human. The bovine shape replacing the feminine one, the voice deep and echoing, " **I am Nakatsukasa**."

 _Tsubaki's ancestors..._  BlackStar's knees gave out, "What- Why are you here?" his lips twitched, "Are even you going to blame me for her death? Does she?"

Her voice chimed across the space between them and made him flinch, "BlackStar, no! Of course I don't blame you!"

"Stop!" He clutched his head, "Stop pretending to be her! Stop  _torturing_  me!"

The searingly yellow eyes gazed at him with confusion and a measure of disgust ( _Take a fucking number!_ ), " **We do not pretend: we are**."

"You  _lie_. Tsubaki is  _dead_. You may have her memories, but you don't have her  _soul_.  _You_ aren't  _her_. So don't pretend to be! What are you even doing here? Why would something like  _you_  be... wherever it is I'm even at at the moment?"

" **You have been chosen.** "

"Chosen? For what?"

Tsubaki's voice rang out: "I accept, BlackStar: I pledge my metal to yours. I claim your dream as my own and swear to do everything I can to make our dream a reality." the voice changed again, "You have single-handedly salvaged the honor of two Nakatsukasa heirs, and I thank you for it." and then back, " **You have been chosen by the Nakatsukasa clan.** " the burning yellow eyes bored into his very soul, " **Prove your worth!** "

BlackStar felt a forceful shove and the world around him faded to black.

* * *

"BlackStar! BlackStar! Please! Please wake up! Don't die! BlackStar!"

Green eyes squinted open to see the blurry whiteness of his too-bright bathroom lights again. Someone was crying on his chest, "Tsu...baki?" he lifted his hand to run it through soft strands as his vision cleared, even as he winced at the pain it caused him; anything to stop those tears, that heart-breaking sorrow. The hair against his fingers lightened and turned to ash before his eyes and he saw another pair of gleaming emeralds looking right back at him, unashamed tears of relief coursing over sunkissed cheeks, "...Maka?"

She locked eyes with him for an instant before going back to crying on his chest, "Thank Shinigami!" she sat up and wiped her face, "What were you thinking, you moron?! You almost killed yourself! Is  _this_  how you honor Tsubaki?! By stupid stunts like this! You stupid-" she choked off another sob and covered her eyes with her arm.

He pushed himself up-right excruciatingly with his unharmed left arm and pulled Maka into him with his (now tightly bandaged, he noted) right, "Shh. It's okay, Maka. I'm fine now. I'm sorry I scared you. Hush... Don't cry. I'm sorry."

Her tears only came harder, "God, I'm so sorry, BlackStar! I'm sorry I wasn't there for you! Tsubaki would be ashamed of me for what I've done to you. Please! Please don't leave me! I can't lose another friend, I can't lose my last connection to her; I can't!"

"Shhh. Tsubaki would forgive you, Maka. I'm sorry. It  _was_  stupid, and I won't do it again, I promise."

Her sniffling trailed off and she looked up at him hesitantly, "...Do  _you_  forgive me, BlackStar? I haven't been a good friend, but I'm so sorry..."

"I don't blame you. I'll always forgive my friends."

She looked at him with far too much knowing in her green eyes, voice quiet, "Forgive yourself, too. BlackStar, it wasn't your fault. I know that now, and I shouldn't have ever thought differently." He looked away and gently pushed her back, struggling to his feet with Maka helping. Seeing that he wasn't going to talk about it further, Maka helped him get to his bed where he collapsed, "I'll be right back."

And BlackStar was once again alone and left to stare at the ceiling.  _Prove myself worthy?_  What did that mean? He'd been marked by Nakatsukasa? By Tsubaki and her father? What did it all mean?

"BlackStar?"

"Still breathing." he affirmed as Maka let herself back in. She frowned at his poor attempt at humor and held out a tube of something for him. BlackStar sat up again and took it from her, his heartbeat kicking up at the little container of scar cream and he looked up at her searchingly, "Maka...?"

Her cheeks heated, "It's not what you think! I don't! It's just- Soul gets really upset when I get injured, and he doesn't like the reminders... so I use that. I won't tell anyone, not even Soul; but BlackStar-"

"Never again: I know. I won't."

He'd lost so much: Tsubaki, several pints of blood, his status as a Meister, potentially his sanity; but staring at the little tube, Maka sitting next to him and leaned against his shoulder, BlackStar felt like maybe he'd gained something, too...

121212


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair to note: the KidStar interaction I promised for chapter 14? That has been pushed back a chapter: it WILL appear in chapter 15.
> 
> And onward!

131313

 _Those utter_ _ **bastards**_ _._  The death god seethed. Not only had Kid been forced into this mission -forced  _again_  to break the oath he swore to BlackStar- those  _scum-sucking_ _ **fuckers**_ had threatened Star to get him to go! He'd left the school at something just short of a sprint, getting away before he did something he knew he wouldn't regret. Because so help him, if he'd stared at their faces even another second, he'd have invoked his right as a shinigami and Reaped them all, and that certainly wouldn't have helped Star, who'd likely have gotten the blame of corrupting him against his accusers.

The goddamned Catch-22 to end them all. It was either leave BlackStar or be the reason they killed him. He'd left. And it cut at him.

The first time, he'd seen the shock, the hurt, the  _betrayal_  in Star's eyes when he said he had a mission. The abject defeat it had turned into when he explained that he had no choice, that he'd  _never_  leave if he'd had the choice. BlackStar had smiled -that hiding, closed-eye smile- given him a thumbs-up, and told him to stay safe unless he wanted BlackStar to have to come and rescue his symmetrical ass.

The hurt had been hidden the next time Kid had gone to him, but he knew it was there all the same. When BlackStar felt things, he felt them  _deeply_ , like Kid himself did. And he might hide it -hide it well enough to fool almost anyone else- but BlackStar could never hide it well enough from Kid.

By the third time, it had become obvious: they were being separated. BlackStar wasn't allowed out without a partner, and Kid was being forced away in spite of his protests. And Kid's anger only grew. Shinigami was doing  _nothing_  about the situation: BlackStar was still under the same -hell, even  _more_ \- suspicion as before. The word of the god of death would have put the matter to an end, but it was as if even his father wasn't certain about Star's loyalty. Which was  _stupid_! Because there just  _wasn't_  any more loyal person out there! If it were up to  _Kid_...!

But then... it  _wasn't_  up to him, was it? Until he graduated, he was still just another student, and his opinion on a potential enemy didn't matter in the slightest. So they were left in this horrible, separated, twisted limbo, where Shinigami  _wouldn't_  vouch for Star, and Kid  _did_  but no one listened. More and more, Kid was coming to understand BlackStar's frustration with his father. He still didn't know why the two had fallen out -might never know- but it was becoming apparent that there was such a thing as  _too_  neutral, too cautious, and Shinigami was being it. He was letting his advisors and past partners encourage his paranoia when he should know better.

What the hell were they going to do? The school was against them, the teachers were against them, it seemed like even  _Maka_  was against them. The worst part of it all, from Kid's standpoint, was that BlackStar was  _accepting_  it all. He wasn't fighting like he usually did, he was too hurt to. Star was  _injured_. During a time when he needed all the friendship and support he could get, people he should have been able to count on were turning their backs on him left and right. Sure, the school and teachers had lost a student, and the others had lost a classmate; he and Soul and the rest of their group had lost a friend -a good friend- but that paled to what BlackStar had lost; he'd lost half of his soul.

A Meister-Weapon group was more than just a friend that you battled with, it was another being, another soul that sang to yours; a constant song in your spirit, a perfect harmony that rang clear with every beat of your hearts. Even when they weren't Resonating, they were  _there_ , a constant presence that could be felt, even over a great distance. That didn't just go away, even when partners separated; a soul that had touched your own would always be there, a small part of you; possibly overshadowed with a new partner, but still always there.

BlackStar didn't have that anymore, his had been ripped away. It was as though the musical score had been cut off, leaving the singer alone; the result a hollow sound compared to the original. It was worse than losing an arm, a leg; closer to losing a lover or twin: that person who knew every part of you from your greatest accomplishments to your darkest secrets and didn't judge you for any of them.

Just the thought of that kind of pain made Kid's chest ache, the thought of losing Liz or Patty causing a chill of fear in his stomach. Those who'd lost their partners had been known to try and follow them; suicide rates were high unless another partner could be found; a way to staunch the bleeding wound left behind. It was the reason he'd made BlackStar promise not to.  _That_  thought, above all others, worried him the most.

What would he do without Star? Kid literally couldn't imagine life without the blue haired boy, he couldn't remember the time before him as anything other than a fog of loneliness and anxiety: constantly alone, constantly stressed out about symmetry. BlackStar had fixed that, saved him from himself; become his friend when he had none, worked with him bit-by-bit to agonizingly help him change and manage his OCD. Not his father, who was always too busy, not Liz and Patty who he hadn't met at that time -who he  _wouldn't_  have met if not for the green eyed boy- and who found his obsession more than a little annoying and teased him about it:  _BlackStar_  had done that.

The answer was terrifying in its simplicity: there was no life without BlackStar there with him...

* * *

_"Kid?"_  Liz asked hesitantly. It had been too quiet for their trio since they'd left Shibusen hours ago. Over the burning sands the sisters had faced not only the boiling heat around them, but the terrifyingly deep anger of the son of Death. Neither of them had been willing to make a sound in case they accidentally set him off. Then it had been a heart-breaking despair that exceeded even Kid's fits of asymmetry-realization. Now it was just... worry. A nagging, eating-at-the-mind worry.

_"Kid! Now's not the time to be obsessing about your room furnishings! We're about to be neck-deep in danger!"_

The young death god finally came out of his trance and glared down at the pistol, speaking for the first time since they'd set out on this foolish mission, "I'm not!" he snapped venomously, obviously insulted that she'd even implied that to be the cause for his state.

Liz mentally flinched, surprised at her Meister's reaction, completely baffled. She and Patty had been with him for years now, and symmetry was the only thing she'd ever known to get this strong a response from him. And really, the full force of Death the Kid's anger even grazingly cast her way wasn't something Liz wanted to deal with, even when it had burned low and been covered in worry. She had healthy survival instincts, and they were screaming at her to backtrack from whatever landmine she'd just unknowingly trampled upon.

_"Okay, then. Mind telling me what_ _**does** _ _have you so distracted only minutes from us flying headfirst into a hotbed of Kishin activity if it's not your OCD?"_

He sighed and his hold on their grips tightened, "It's... che, never mind, don't worry about it."

_"Don't worry about it? Mr. Symmetry has his head so far up his ass that he hasn't even noticed that he's forgotten to do up his left cufflinks, and you want me to not worry about that?"_

"I-" Kid stopped and looked at his left sleeve, tilting the weapon (Patty) and blinking at the undone gold links. Now that it had been drawn to his attention, he felt the itch at the back of his mind, not as strong as usual, and nowhere near the magnitude of what he'd actually been obsessing about all day, but definitely there, and growing worse the more he focused on it. Kid sighed and fixed it, golden eyes going back to the horizon, "Do you feel like something bad is going to happen today?"

 _"As a matter of fact: yes."_ She waited for the questioning look Kid gave her before continuing.  _"I feel like my Meister's going to get me and my little sister killed if he doesn't get his shit together."_

Kid's lip curled before he could stop himself, "Liz, I'm not joking about this!"

_"So, what? Your Reaper Senses are tingling?"_

_"Oooh, shiny!"_

They broke off their turning-into-an argument at Patty's exclamation, the floating city of Venice sprawling beneath them as Kid flew over it on Beelzebub.

Liz looked out over the hauntingly empty streets and waterways, a shiver going down her metaphorical spine.  _"How many Kishin are we supposed to dispose of here, again?"_

 _Eight_. Kid answered, sounding utterly serious and not even the least excited about the perfectly symmetrical number.

The blonde knew a Kishin could decimate a city in a week, if only for the fact that  _only_  Meisters and Demon Weapons could kill them, regular weapons like knives and bullets would phase right through the monsters. Packs of Kishin were rare for the reason that Kishin were inherently extremely selfish and territorial creatures, but the amount of destruction they could unleash upon a populace when they  _did_  happen was a thing of legends, the kind that became awful horror stories. Usually they couldn't bear to be around more than about four others, and that would have to be a very large area to support them; a pack of  _eight_ , unleashed on a city the size of Venice, Italy...

_"Evacuation?"_

_Mass. Of the population of 310,000, only about a third has chosen to remain behind. Half of those are dead._

The wind blew through the empty streets.  _"And apparently those remaining were at least smart enough to hide in their houses. Why wasn't the local Death Scythe brought in to deal with this?"_

Kid's grip tightened even more.  _Because the world is full of idiots. I'll give you three guesses where the Death Scythes are at this very moment, and what they're doing there. First two guesses don't count._

Liz blinked.  _Then_  she got angry- no: furious.  _"Wait a minute! Are you telling me that the reason we were assigned this stupidly dangerous mission in the first place is because the people whose job this_ _ **really**_ _is are back at the academy debating on_ _ **BlackStar**_ _and we only got sent because we're the closest substitute to a Death Scythe they could find?!"_

_That is precisely what I'm telling you._

_"Then... all those idiotic rumors weren't rumors after all? They... really are discussing executing BlackStar?! I thought it was just some of the more up-tight teachers!"_

Kid didn't answer her. She didn't really need him to.

It was Patty that noticed it first.  _"I'm kinda bored. Aren't we supposed to be- Oh, look, big fishy!"_

The little blonde's drawing attention to it was the only thing that saved them. Liz trembled in Kid's hand at the massive shadow below them in the water just before it attacked.  _"Not a fish!"_

The death god flipped the skateboard to the right as a tentacle shot out of the waterway at them, taking aim and firing at the appendage. It exploded into black gore and a high-pitched, ear-shattering roar broke over the city, the Shibusen students wincing in pain.

_"Kid, MOVE!"_

A volley of over a dozen more tentacles shot from the depths below. Spindly black limbs reached for them, the Meister weaving between grasping appendages as he dove down towards the water, pink blasts firing in a constant rhythm while the world sped by.

 _"On the right!"_  Liz warned.

At the same time, Patty shouted:  _"Behind!"_

Kid rolled them to the left as they fell, flipping them to face the sky and firing at the twin threats simultaneously: Liz taking out the one that had been about to skewer them from behind and Patty destroying the one that had almost gotten them from the side.

Sensing danger below again, Kid twisted them and the tentacle that was meant for his head passed by just over his shoulder. He estimated where it originated from further down, behind him, and pointed Patty without looking, firing even as he aimed Liz for the ones that were curling down towards them from above.

 _"Incoming!"_ Patty chirped enthusiastically. That voice should  _really_  not be so damn perky about announcing an approaching danger.

Liz grimaced,  _"Kid!"_  she cried as their Meister turned to deal with the new ( _Do these things ever_ _ **end**_ _?)_  tentacle popping from the murky depths. Seeing the collision course coming at them from the window of the closest building with razor sharp claws at least three feet in length, headed  _right for Kid's throat._  Reinforcements had arrived. " _Fuck!_ "

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	14. Chapter 14

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Liz transformed in an instant, her added weight in human form tearing Kid off-course, yanking him from Beelzebub entirely -forcing his shot to miss- and being ripped away from him as the unexpected shift in weight separated them. But more importantly, the attacking Kishin from the window completely missed in its strike.

Her Meister was not the son of the god of death without knowing how to adjust to changes in the battle plan on the fly. After the first instant of surprise that crossed his face, Kid sent Beelzebub to catch the human-Weapon, keeping his focus still on the enemy below that he was now falling even quicker towards, shifting his body weight in midair to adjust his position and aiming down so he'd enter the water feet-first.

 _Get ready, Patty!_  There was no time left, but Kid took a split second to thank the heavens for BlackStar, without whose training he never even would have been able to fire Patty without Liz in his other hand.

_"Ready!"_

There were reasons, besides his OCD, that Kid had two weapons, and only used them when he had both. Patty made a determined face as she felt Kid's soul wavelength crackle through their bond, wincing at the pain but remaining strong as they broke through the mirror finish of the water, coming barrel-to-teeth with the massive Kishin below the surface.

 _"_ _ **Death Shot: Overcharge**_ _!"_  Their mental voices chimed in sync. There was a half-second's delay as the surrounding area lit up in a pink glow...

* * *

Liz dove just under the flashing claws going for her head, her hat whipping off and a few strands of hair being lost in the process, then putting her foot flat against the building, she kicked off of it for a sharp rebound. The blonde didn't like being separated from her Meister, even less from her sister. But they  _could_  fight apart, even though it wasn't good for any of them.

The Kishin's attention was taken from her when the water below them erupted upward in a blue-green geyser and the eldest Thompson took the opportunity presented to her. Hopping onto the closest open window ledge, she set her foot against the edge of Beelzebub and kicked out with all her might, "Tornado Flip!"

The black board went sailing through the air like a disk of destruction, catching the Kishin right across the abdomen and sending it through the wall of the building across the canal. Liz jumped from the window over the middle of the waterway, transforming as she fell. Kid caught her expertly as he broke the surface with Patty in-hand and climbed from the murky liquid.

_"You okay, Patty?"_

_"Stings, but I'm okay, sis!"_

Liz mentally jumped as a tentacle shot from the water.  _"Christ! Doesn't that thing ever die?!"_

All three of them watched in shocked surprise as the limb sped past them all and went... into the building? The trio gawked as the bleeding form rose from the water, huge maw filled with hundreds of razor-sharp teeth showing in a too-wide mouth spread to devour  _the other Kishin_.

_"HOLY SHIT! Did that Kishin just-"_

Kid tensed, "Eat its fellow? Yeah, that just happened."

Patty mentally leaned forward.  _"Look! It's healing!"_

Kid recalled Beelzebub to gain height as sinister red eyes zeroed back in on them again.  _"Kid, this is BAD! Get us the fuck out of here!"_

 _"Is this why there weren't any other Kishin?"_ Patty asked.

_"Let's not stick around to find out!"_

Kid held them out, preparing to initiate Soul Resonance, when the Kishin sank back down below the water. Yellow\gold eyes watched the area warily, "Did it retreat?"

Liz let out a relieved sigh.  _"This is good, right? It must have known it was out-matched considering the damage you did to it with just one of your weapons down there. And a Kishin hunting Kishin; it's like our job's being done for us."_

"I can't even begin to count all the ways which this is so very  _not good_. That thing was like some higher evolution of Kishin, which would be worrying enough on its own. What Kishin hunts its own kind instead of human souls? Not only that, but the instant healing it received because of it... That was quite the power boost. Its retreat also makes the argument for a concerningly greater intelligence, and who knows how powerful it can become in what sort of timeframe? There are too many variables and far too many ways in which this could lead to something so  _very_  bad."

_"Okay, I can see your point, but at least it-"_

Kid spun Beelzebub in the air and bent backwards like he was playing a game of limbo, avoiding the blade-tipped tail that attempted to decapitate him even as he pointed the twin pistols at the new threat and fired.  _You, perchance, weren't about to say how it had at least taken care of the other Kishin for us, were you?_

_"Me? Of course not!"_

Patty jumped _. "Hide and seek: yay!"_

Patty had apparently gotten it right again in another flash of innocent insight: it appeared all the other Kishin had merely been hiding from the one they'd just had the pleasure of playing with. The Kishin dissolved in a glow of light, which just brought to mind yet again how different and powerful the other had been.

A quick scan showed Kishin come crawling out of the surrounding buildings like ants.  _"Well, the welcoming committee left, looks like the party can finally start, eh?"_  At the lack of response, Liz looked at her Meister. Kid looking without seeing at the danger around them.  _"Kid?"_

The young god's mind wasn't on the Kishin or his weapons, but the strange heaviness in his veins, the weight in his chest.  _What is this...?_

 _"Kid! Focus!"_  Liz screamed as one of the monsters launched itself at them. Her wielder snapped himself out of whatever the hell was bothering him just barely in time to avoid the strike, dropping them straight down and shooting into the space they'd just been; leading his target.

Kid couldn't keep his mind on the fight. This tightness in his chest, this strange, phantom pain...  _It's... hard to breathe..._

_"KID!"_

_Can't you feel it? The pain?_

_"I can feel the Kishin's breath on my fucking face! SHOOT, damn you!"_

Kid jerked and pulled the trigger, taking half the grotesque face off one of the demons. Liz trembled in his hand. He could feel her doubt seeping through their bond along with Patty's curiosity and concern.  _Sorry. But... Something's wrong._

_"Kid, I swear to your father if you're endangering our throats for another goddamned painting..."_

_No! It's-_

_"Above!"_

Wincing at the painfully blinding glare resulting in his knee-jerk reaction of heeding his Weapons' warning without hesitation that made him look up at the sun, Kid aimed without being able to see and shot off several rounds. The Kishin -this one something like a mutant cross between a panther and viper- screech-hissed in pain, but landed -alive- in the canal below. Awash with guilt at Liz's obvious, honest fear that he'd get them all killed, Kid shook off the painfully increasing heavy feeling in his chest.

Forcefully breathing deeply past the pain, his eyes flicked from one demon -one target- to another, waiting. The smooth-hided lizard on the left was the first to move, and Kid was through messing around. Catching another tensing from the corner of his eye, Kid stood at the edge of Beelzebub, jumping from the board with a super-powered kick with far more force behind it than what Liz could accomplish, sailing over the lizard Kishin in the air and taking it out even as his board cut through the sky at a high enough velocity to whistle. It cut through the Kishin it hit dead center in the chest just as easily.

Kid didn't bother recalling it just yet, kicking off the roof of the building where the lizard had originally been, aiming Patty to the left at one of the monsters and Liz at another opposite and across the waterway. Both Kishin disintegrated as Kid landed on the sidewalk below.

Silence engulfed the dead city. Patty transformed back to human in a flash of pink, "Are they all gone?"

 _"There were only supposed to be eight, right? Not counting the freaky not-kishin thing we faced, that should be all of them."_ Liz answered, about to turn back herself.

"But we didn't get that o-"

Liz froze as the sound of water erupting came behind them and Kid spun on his heels in an instant, brandishing her flatly at the cat-viper they'd left injured and squeezing the trigger partway before freezing in place, unable to move any part of his body.

Liz screamed.  _"KIIID!"_

 _Can't breathe!_  His heart skipped a beat and he felt an impossible weight crushing his chest, collapsing his ribcage. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't think of anything but one searing thought.  _BlackStar!_

Liz breathed a sigh of relief as Patty grabbed Kid by the hand he usually wielded her with and tugged with all her might, likely saving Kid's life, but not before the Kishin managed to score a deep cut on his other arm, forcing him to drop Liz.

_"Patty!"_

"Right!" The younger Thompson grabbed her sister before she hit the ground, normally-innocent face scrunched in a serious expression as she pointed Liz at the Kishin point-blank and fired.

When they were  _sure_  there were no more, Liz transformed back and they both rushed to their Meister, "Kid!" the shinigami was nearly catatonic and Liz shook him hard, "Come on, useless rich-boy!"

Patty was on his other side, both hands on his shoulder and shoving for all she was worth, "Wake up! Come on, please! Please,  _please_  wake up!"

What seemed like an eternity -but was in all likelihood only a few minutes- later, Kid shot upright and startled both of them, his eyes locked on the horizon, "Come on! We have to go!"

"Go? Go where? And what the hell just happened? Kid! Damn you, stop ignoring me!"

"Something happened back home: we're leaving.  _Now_." Liz and Patty looked at each other, scrambling after the Kishin souls they'd earned as Kid walked off. Realizing they weren't going to get any more out of him, both his Weapons sighed as they caught up with him and transformed again. Kid barely noticed as he summoned Beelzebub and they shot into the air back towards Shibusen.  _What trouble have you gotten yourself into now, Star?_

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	15. Chapter 15

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_"Um, BlackStar?"_

_He looked over from where he sat on Shibusen's highest tower, the wind blowing at his unruly spikes- something next to no one would ever expect him to do, "Yeah, Tsubaki?"_

_She didn't look him in the eye, "Well... I've been wondering..._ _**Why** _ _do you want to overcome God and protect Kid?"_

_The blunette choked, "Wh-what?"_

_Tsubaki frowned, "Well, that_ _**is** _ _who you're trying to protect, right?" Not trusting his mouth, BlackStar merely nodded. Tsubaki went on, "Why do you want to protect him? Wouldn't being Shinigami-sama's son keep him safe?"_

_Just hearing that name made him want to sneer, but he throttled it back just in time, "Don't you understand, Tsubaki? Right now Kid's the strongest one around. So what happens when he gets into a situation where_ _**he** _ _needs saving? I have to become strong enough to save him. And don't even bring up the old man, he's already made it abundantly clear that if Kid's in trouble then he's screwed and we're all dead. So then who's left? Who else is even willing to see the flaws in the son of death that mark him as human? I just... have to keep him safe."_

_"But..._ _**Why?** _ _Is it because he's your brother?"_

_BlackStar flinched, "No!" he saw her shrink back and adjusted his volume, "Just... no. Don't call him that: Kid is_ _**not** _ _my brother. I'm an orphan. The only sibling I have is you."_

_"O-oh... Then..." Her face took on a thoughtful look, mouth opening and closing as if she were afraid to voice her thought._

_He looked away and felt his cheeks heating, "You're thinking right." he muttered, knowing the surprise on her expression without having to look, choosing instead to stare up at the fluffy clouds rolling across the blue sky, "It's... It's because I lov-"_

"BlackStar?"

Sleepy green eyes blinked open as he sat up and yawned, "Kid? When did you get back?"

"Just a few minutes ago."

"Oh, well it's- what the hell?!"

Kid jumped back, looking around, "What?!"

BlackStar grabbed the young death god's arm, "What the fuck did you do, you moron? I told you not to get yourself hurt!  _God_ , why the hell didn't you get this looked at?"

Kid looked down at the cut that sliced clean through his suit (and  _arm)_ , "Oh, that?"

Green orbs glared at him, "Yeah, 'that'!" BlackStar's hand locked on the taller teen's wrist like iron and dragged him to the bathroom, muttering about idiot shinigami the entire time, yet cautious enough to look in first and sigh in relief. The floor was clear and there wasn't a speck of red anywhere, he  _really_  had to thank Maka later. It hadn't even bothered him when he'd complained of being tired and she'd told him -again- what an idiot he was and that bloodloss did that to a person.

BlackStar pushed Kid to sit on the toilet and went about getting all his medical supplies out.  _Again._  Lining them up on the the counter before going to his knees in front of the other teen and taking his arm, ripping the sleeve of the suit and shirt beneath it off at the shoulder. "Hey!"

He glared up into Kid's yellow\gold eyes, "Shut up. If it bothered you that much, you should have treated it and changed already." BlackStar tilted his body back, reached his hand over his shoulder, and grabbed the peroxide and cotton balls. He leaned over Kid's arm and went to work, wiping away the dried and crusted blood from the scabbing wound, "What the hell happened?" Getting no response, he looked up and found the death god's eyes glazed, "Hey, Kid!" He sighed when that didn't work, "The hell are you...?"

The only thing that was of even any minor difference was the fact that he didn't have a shirt on. He'd taken the bloodied thing off the moment he could and Maka had taken it, saying that as a girl she knew how to get bloodstains out better than he would. Which was true, because he'd have simply buried it in his closet with the reminder to burn it later. His own arms were symmetrically wrapped, so he didn't see what could be so distracting. Granted, if  _Kid_  were the one shirtless before him... But Kid wasn't like he was.

BlackStar shook his head with a huff. He could always get the story later. He went back to work, the dried blood giving way to pale skin beneath the bubbling power of the peroxide.  _Hmm, this should wake him up._  Not  _quite_  as bad as pure alcohol, but peroxide  _did_  have a noticeable sting to it- and the annoying tickling sensation. He thoroughly doused a pair of cotton balls and pressed them against the crusted gash.

Kid jerked and winced, "Ah!"

BlackStar grinned up at him, holding his arm steady, "Aha! The god returns. Tell me, how was your trip to the spiritual lands?"

Yellow\gold eyes blinked at him, "...What?"

Star sweatdropped.  _Right over his head..._  "Never mind. So, where are Liz and Patty and how did you get this?"

"They're off giving Father our report. I lost my concentration in the field."

 _Not really surprising considering I just saw you lose it here in my bathro-_ "Wait, you mean you haven't even reported in yet?!"

"No, I sent them to report while I checked on you."

"Hmph! I don't need 'checked' in on."

"No, you didn't need it. But I did." that last part was said in a whisper BlackStar was almost certain he wasn't supposed to hear.

He bent back to his task, removing the bloody cotton to show the free-flowing wound before attacking it with antiseptic and antibiotic cream, finally figuring out why the thing bugged him so much: "So when did you get this?"

He didn't bother glaring as Kid shrugged, "About three hours ago."

His heart skipped a beat and he bent over further to hide his expression, his fingers tightening on the pale arm just slightly, "You idiot. How the hell did  _you_  lose your concentration in the middle of a fight?"

"...I don't know. I just, I couldn't fight, couldn't move, I couldn't  _breathe_. Something was wrong and I just... shut down."

BlackStar's chest felt like it was expanding and constricting at the same time, his entire face heating dangerously, "...You're a moron."

The death god chuckled, "Not the first time you've accused me of that."

 _Did he really...? Was it my fault he got hurt?_  He leaned back a little so the overhead light was clearer as he twined bandages around Kid's arm expressionlessly.  _Now we'll match..._  He sighed tiredly, "You're going to scar."

It was rather apparent that the other wasn't even listening to him, "Are you okay?"

BlackStar choked and froze, looking up at the white-striped raven incredulously, "You have a  _hole in your arm_ , and you're asking if  _I'm_  fine?! What the fuck, Kid?!" he hit the shinigami upside the head as he went back to glaring, "I told you not to get hurt, you asshole! And  _this_  is how you come back! How dare you even  _ask_  if I'm alright?! What right do you even-"

"I'm sorry."

That stopped BlackStar in his tracks mid-rant, "Wh-what?" The way Kid was looking at him... He felt his cheeks heat and looked away, going back to his nursing.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Star. And I'm sorry I broke my promise. I shouldn't have let them separate us."

BlackStar's motions slowed, his face softening, "Tch, idiot. It wasn't your fault. Don't take blame that doesn't rightfully fall on you. You had to go, it's not like either of us had a choice. Just... be more careful next time." he finished tying off the wrapping, and without even thinking about it, leaned forward to lay a kiss on it over the wound. Once he realized what he was doing, he stood up hastily and wiped at his pants, cheeks red, "And if you come back to me like this again next time, I'm going to beat your ass into the ground: to the side and just slightly off-center. Got it?"

A glance over showed Kid staring at his arm with a small smile on his lips that just made Star blush more, "Yeah..."

 _Maybe..._  He opened his mouth...

"BlackStar!"

"Kid!"

They both curiously left the bathroom and peeked out, with perfectly simultaneous: "What?!"s leaving their lips at the same time.

Liz, Patty,  _Maka and Soul_  were  _all_  in his room. BlackStar huffed in agitation and stepped out first, "What do you need?"

Maka covered her eyes and squeaked: "For you to put on a shirt!".

BlackStar smirked at her and crossed his arms, "Come on: My abs rock, why should I hide them?"

The ash-blonde floundered for an excuse until Liz stepped in, too used to BlackStar to be affected by him, "Because we've all just been summoned by Shinigami-sama."

The smirk fell right off his face and he held his hand up, "Kid." the other had already gotten a shirt from the shorter teen's dresser and tossed it to him. Star caught the white top and shrugged it on, already headed for the doorway with Kid at his side, "What are you all waiting for? Let's go."

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	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Managed to find just the right bunny-bait and just got this written yesterday. *bows head in thanks of Phred* And we're getting closer to those parts everyone's waiting for, (right, no pressure) so let's all thank (and bait, feel free to throw me bunny bait) Phred for the chapter. On we go!

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BlackStar followed behind the others with a little distance between them as they all headed towards the Death Room after they'd been summoned, his hands in his pockets as he went. Cliche as it was, it was inevitable; he couldn't avoid Death forever.

The deathly figure waved at them all as they entered, "Heya!"

Kid was the one who spoke up, "Father, what is it you needed from us? Do you have a mission for us?"

"Sure do, Kiddo!" the group of six leaned forward at Shinigami's serious stare... "We're having a party!"

A girlish screech of: "A  _what?!_ " tore the air. BlackStar flushed as the others turned to him. "That was Maka!" That was his story and he was sticking to it! The ash-blonde glared at him but let it slide.

"A party!"

Kid looked on, confusion across his features, about why the six of them would need to be told about that separately. He seemed to figure something out, his face paling as he turned to his father in dawning horror, "Having a party  _where_?!"

"At the mansion."

The God of Death was faced with four scowling teens: not a single one of the children under his roof agreeing with that idea.

The thought of all those people -most of them strangers- in their sanctuary had Liz scowling blackly and Patty pouting.

All those...  _heathens_ , running around, destroying the carefully maintained balance in his home... Kid shuddered.

BlackStar gaped at his adoptive Father's obliviousness; sure, just give the hormonally-charged, emotionally-distraught, weaponized teenagers a chance to go completely crazy- and you could guarantee there'd be alcohol at that party being snuck in by  _someone_.

The blue-haired teen was the first to speak, "Am I the only one who thinks this a  _massively_  bad idea?"

"I second that!" Kid shouted.

"I agree." BlackStar looked over to the ash-blonde.  _Good ol' Maka: can always count on her to put her foot down on anything that sounds fu-_  "This is a good chance for the students to have fun in the wake of all the sadness."

BlackStar stared at her in utter disbelief, "Who are you and what have you done with Maka?!"

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, "It's a safe,  _healthy_  way for everyone to let out their pent-up emotions in a controlled environment."

His face tightened.  _That's playing dirty._  He opened his mouth to shout her down from her stupid, blackmail-y argument when Shinigami put an end to it, "It's already been decided and the invitations have already been sent."

Kid's forehead creased and he closed his eyes as he ground his teeth. BlackStar went back to scowling darkly and stuffed his hands into his pockets again, "For the record: Kid, the sisters, and I; are  _not_  cleaning up the mess this is going to cause."

He spun on his heel and stalked from the room, Kid, Liz, and Patty following close behind; all their demeanors those of prisoners being led to the executioner's block.

* * *

 

The Death Manor children remained firmly entrenched in their respective rooms as the first floor of their home was transformed into a den of inequity, none of them happy about it. As the day turned to evening and guests started pouring in, Liz and Patty  _did_ eventually get curious enough to emerge and check out what was going on.

Kid and BlackStar didn't need to check to know: they could hear the base beats coming up through two floors and sound-proofed walls. Both were of the exact opposing opinion of the current song; they'd be perfectly happy to stop the music.

Kid's meditation was ruined, and worse, the damnable beat blasting through the walls was vibrating his pictures and knickknacks off their perfectly symmetrical grids.

"On the left. The-"

"Got it."

"And to the right, your-"

"Already on it."

"And the picture over by the-"

"Working on it."

"And the left candlestick on the mantle..."

"Argh! For the love of symmetry!" Kid fell to his knees with his hands set to rip out entire chunks of his hair.

BlackStar was laying on the king-sized bed -in the exact center, thank you very much- in Kid's room, watching him bustle around and helping. Nearly anyone else would have found his calling out annoying, but Kid, he knew, would be genuinely grateful in case he missed a case of asymmetry, "Move your right hand back about a quarter of an inch. If you rip our your hair like that, you'll be uneven."

Kid ran his fingers through his hair again, suitably distracted, then gripped again and turned to BlackStar, "Here?"

Star gave him a thumbs up, "Yup. Feel free to tear out at your discretion."

Utterly serious, Kid nodded, "Thank you." before letting his hands drop and sitting on the edge of the bed with BlackStar, "How are you doing?"

"Why do you keep asking me that? I'm the same as I was an hour ago, the same as I was the time you asked before that, the same as I was when you asked me in the bathroom earlier. I'm  _fine_."

"I ask because I'm worried about you, Star. You don't act fine."

Too curious to be annoyed, he cocked his head and gazed at the shinigami questioningly, "How do I act then?"

"You act... lost."

BlackStar looked away, "Not much I can do about that..."

"You can lean on me. I'm here for you, BlackStar; I always will be. So, if you get lost just... find  _me_."

The blue haired teen swallowed and opened his mouth to reply when a hash bass beat rocked the walls and he spotted the tilting frame first. He sat up and pointed it out, ignoring the tic at Kid's temples, "The-"

"I've  _got it_ , thank you!" BlackStar couldn't help grinning at the upset shinigami, knowing the annoyance wasn't aimed at him. Kid stood back from his straightening with a huff, "That does it! I'm going to teach those  _heathens_  a lesson!"

After an hour of  _constantly_  fixing his room, Kid gave up and went to confront the problem at its source, leaving Star alone on the floor.

BlackStar sighed and flopped back on the bed, staring at the ceiling before closing his eyes. The song changed -this one more rock and less pop- and before he knew it, it became more and more difficult to open his eyes again. It was one of Star's many eccentricities: he could sleep clear through hard rock songs so long as there weren't any pauses or stops and starts: so long as the general noise level remained even, he could drop off without even meaning to, and given that the ones playing were meant for dancing...

* * *

 

_"Bastard!"_

_BlackStar blinked at the familiar form, unusual tears pouring down flushed cheeks. "Liz?"_

_The dark honey-blonde held up the pistol -Patty- behind him, and BlackStar turned to see a blur disappear. What was more concerning: there was destruction everywhere. Buildings torn down, nothing but rubble left, fire eating away at what little remained, burned out trees with blackened bark smoldered while ash rained down like morbid snow._

_Then he noticed it: the scent of charred flesh. BlackStar pulled his scarf up to cover his nose, grimacing at the smell of death and fire that tainted the air, that darkened the sky with cloud-like plumes of smoke that blotted out the sun. The destruction around him became more defined, the twisted shapes scattered about taking on familiar silhouettes: people. Burned caricatures of other humans._

_What Kishin had wrought this horror? And why hadn't Shibusen sent out the Death Scythes to take care of it? Why would they send Liz and Patty out without Kid?_

_"I'll kill you for what you've done!"_

_He turned back around and started, staring down the silver barrel pointed right at him. "Liz?" She shot and BlackStar dove to the side, rolling across the broken pavement, coming out of his roll with his feet under him and launching behind an upturned chunk of rubble. "Liz! What the hell?!"_

_He winced at the pain in her voice, "Quit hiding you damned coward! Come out and face your justice!"_

_Gathering his courage, BlackStar stood, holding his hands up in surrender and walking from behind his cover, but Liz's eyes didn't follow him, glaring hatred at the spot he'd just been. "Liz? I'm here, what's wrong?"_

_Her arms fell and she closed her eyes, a sob escaping, "I won't forgive you for what you've done. I won't. I will, I_ _**will** _ _avenge them all! Just_ _**look** _ _at what you've done!"_

_Heaviness descended, and BlackStar found it inexplicably harder to breathe, "Liz, where's Kid?" Getting no response, dread settling in his veins, BlackStar looked more closely around them. The shapes he'd noticed before, the ones he'd assumed were just civilians that had gotten caught in crossfire, began to stand out more._ _**No** _ _... That black coat, ripped and torn, burnt and bloodied, that was Maka's..._ _**Please no...** _ _And... there was Soul, covering her, a last attempt at protection._

_BlackStar swung around desperately, searching the bodies that lay thick over the battlefield like fallen snowflakes. There was Sid, next to Maka's father. BlackStar looked away, his gaze landing on blood-stained silver hair: Mifune sprawled out on the broken ground, swords littering the earth around him like a hellish game of pick-up-sticks, Angela's small arm peeking out from under the fallen swordsman's body. His stomach lurched and he turned from them all, teeth clenched painfully tight._

_BlackStar shook his head, not wanting to see all the death around him. His friends, his important people. But the blood in his veins didn't freeze, his heart didn't stutter; not until he saw the bit of black leading behind some rubble. Then he felt the skip in his chest, his feet moving without his input, carrying him to the tar-black suit he knew so well, the pale skin he'd seen almost every day of his life and every night in his dreams, the strong but kind face he knew almost better than his own. BlackStar's knees gave out on him, a shaking hand reaching out to caress a cold cheek._ _**No, Kid, please...** _ _"Kid..." the precious yellow and gold eyes remained closed._

_"I told you!"_

_BlackStar stumbled back to his feet, lost in depths of anger he couldn't even begin to_ _**try** _ _to quell, to even name. So help him, he'd help Liz get revenge for what had happened here, he turned around, hatred as black as the hair of the one he'd loved. BlackStar stumbled a little in surprise, seeing Patty's still form lying limp on the cold ground, Liz held a foot above the burnt and bloodstained earth by her throat by... his father?_

_He took a confused step toward the man shadowed by the fires blazing behind him, "...WhiteStar?"_

_Dark laughter spilled from the Demon, "I warned you. I warned you all: promised_ _**my** _ _revenge!"_

_Liz struggled weakly, "D-damn you, you monster... B-burn."_

_"You._ _**First.** _ _"_

_BlackStar surged forward, "No!" Liz fell next to her sister, neck cleanly broken. More numb than anything, BlackStar looked up at the insanely laughing form, the city's fires burning lower, removing the shadow cloaking WhiteStar, only it wasn't WhiteStar before him. The hair tinted from white to blue, the wrappings -the_ _**scarf** _ _\- around their lower face falling, and BlackStar looked up into the Star Clan's namesake eyes, his own eyes, the sclera tinted black and the star pupil in the center blood red, cursed vine-like markings across his skin as he laughed at the fallen forms of his friends._

_The area went chillingly silent and suddenly BlackStar found himself looking down at the Thompsons from a different angle, looking around frantically and finding himself in the Kishin-Star's place. His hands were coated in crimson that stained his wrappings, but the rest of his outfit, his scarf, were glaringly, impossibly white._ _**What have I done? What have I become? What am I?!** _

* * *

 

"No!" BlackStar leapt to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest, unable to draw enough air into his starving lungs. He looked around wildly, seeing no bodies, no burning city, no ruined buildings. Just the same four walls, the same bed, the same room:  _Kid's_  room. But he could swear the scent of smoke still tickled his nose.

BlackStar staggered over to the window and shoved the lower part up, letting the fresh scent of the night swirl into the room on the wind and bite at his sweat-slicked skin with the chill of the desert. He let out a harsh breath and leaned his head against the window frame, closing his eyes and trying to will the lingering memory of the nightmare away. When he opened his eyes, he kept from leaping back only through sheer willpower: looking back from the reflection in the glass wasn't him, but the image of his father.

Heart beating hard again, BlackStar glared at WhiteStar. "I hate you, you know. You ruined my entire life all because you were a greedy bastard. I never had a father, I never knew what it was like to have someone be proud of just having the same blood as me. I never had a mother, either; and that's also entirely your fault. I fought all my fears -I had to- because I never had someone there to soothe them away. I'll fight this, too." BlackStar let out a long breath, "It's  _all_  because of you. Who I am, who everyone thinks I'm going to be, it's because of who you were. You bastard. I never even  _met_  you and you still have all this control over my life. I'd be all alone because of you if it weren't for Kid, but I  _did_  meet him... and that, too, is your fault. And for  _that_ , and nothing else, I thank you." BlackStar's sigh was a quiet huff, half scoff, half amusement, "And you know what? I'm gonna take this one gift you've given me, the only good thing you've ever given me, and I'm not going to let you take that from me, too. So fuck you, Pops. I'm a Star, all on my own, and whatever the hell I decide, it's going to be  _me_  deciding it. I'm  _not_ you, and I'm gonna make it or fail on my own merits, and there's nothing you can do about it."

He closed his eyes and ran the thoughts over in his mind again. The Star Clan's reputation meant nothing. BlackStar  _was_  the Star Clan; his reputation was the only one that mattered. He wasn't going to let his father run his life anymore. He wasn't going to try proving himself to others anymore. He wasn't his father, and he didn't have to prove that to anyone. When BlackStar opened his eyes again, the reflection in the window was his own, and he smiled.  _I win._

161616

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Question! Who can guess what this means for BlackStar going forward, and for the plot overall? Correct answer will earn you the Magic Cookie of the week! Consolation prizes are Enchanted Waffles!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter we have a minor focus-pan so I can show a properly functioning and thriving pair-bond. Enjoy~

171717

"Well you look like you're just thrilled to death..."

Maka sighed, "You know me: I'd rather be home reading a book, I'm not one for parties."

Soul gave her The Look, "Okay: 1) You're hiding away in the kitchen  _reading a book_ , and 2) correct me if I'm wrong, but this  _was_   _your_  idea in the first place, right? All four of the others thought this was a waste of time: I know I didn't just imagine that happening. Seriously; Kid's face was too good for me to have made up."

Maka's lips twitched, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time you'd imagined something completely impossible..."

The sharp-toothed teen grimaced, "You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Never." The ash-blonde finally smiled and looked up at him, "You didn't imagine it, but at the same time, I didn't suggest it for  _me_."

"Then why  _did_  you?"

"Because... because we can't just let our sorrow drown us, and this...  _seemed_  like a good idea for cheering everyone up."

Soul sighed and shook his head, "For such a brainiac, you can be real stupid sometimes, you know that?"

"Hey!"

"Maka, just  _what_  did you think this was going to improve  _exactly_? None of the Manor kids want all these people here,  _you_  don't want to be here, and, frankly, I can think of cooler ways to spend my night. Even Patty doesn't seem to be having fun, and we haven't even seen Kid or BlackStar." he set his cup down, "I know you just wanted to help, but you should  _know_  the others well enough to realize this wouldn't work."

"I do! I just- I thought it would help cheer BlackStar up."

"How?"

"...It worked when we all went out and Kid got drunk."

Soul facepalmed, "Your grand idea was to get everyone to have a party to loosen them up, then get Kid stoned for BlackStar's entertainment?  _Women_! Where do you  _get_  these Ideas?!"

"This is a proven tactic!"

Soul sighed again before standing in front of Maka's corner-chair, setting his hands on her shoulders and leaning down eye-to-eye, "Look, Maka, I  _know_  you only want to help, but  _don't_  go getting obsessive about this, okay? Promise me."

The forest green eyes widened before narrowing in indignation, "I'm  _not_  getting obsessed, Soul."

"Right, because that's  _totally_  not your style. Because it's not like you've ever gotten obsessed with proving your father is a cheating bastard, knowing as much as you possibly can, showing that you can surpass both your parents, and, Death forbid, it's not like you're obsessively defensive about your bust size."

Soul knew what was coming as soon as her eyes took on  _that_  glint, "MAKA CHOP!"

He was only thankful it was one of her rare novels and not one of the infamous textbooks she frequently carried, "My point! This is  _exactly_  what I'm talking about, Maka. You get something in your head -be it being the best Meister, the best daughter, the best student, the best friend- and you take it  _beyond_  all possible healthy lines in the sand! How many times have you gotten hurt stupidly, gotten hurt emotionally, gone days without sleep, put everything in your life aside for a cause you've sunk your teeth into?" He shook her -gently- with each word: "Don't. Do. That. Here."

Maka looked down, "But, Soul... Didn't you see him? He's so... so lost, so  _broken_. How can I stand by and just let one of my friends suffer like that?"

"You don't. You just be there for them, support them. But that doesn't mean trying to perk them up by that- what's the word for liking watching someone else get hurt?"

" 'Schadenfreude.' "

"Right, you don't try to lure them out of their funk by using that; especially when it comes to their  _other_  friends."

Maka looked up at him, shock crossing her face, "Oh, Death, I didn't even think about how bad BlackStar would feel if Kid or the sisters got even mildly hurt after losing Tsubaki. And what if he felt guilty if he  _did_? What have I done?"

Soul straightened back up and ruffled her hair good-naturedly, grinning, "Nothing,  _yet_. You know, I think I'm going to mark this on the calendar as one of the few time where  _I_  get to be the smart one."

Maka shook her head as she stood and put her book away, "Fair enough, I suppose. Still doesn't erase the 'incident', but if it makes you feel better..." she added as she cast him a sideways glance.

"Come on!"

She giggled, "Let's go, I think I should probably apologize to BlackStar for this whole thing."

"Lead the way." he kept two steps behind her, "By the way, when did you and BlackStar make up?"

Maka's step faltered tellingly, "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I'm your partner, Maka. I may not be book-smart, but I'm not stupid. BlackStar wasn't even talking to you, now you seem to expect him to listen to you after  _further_  bad decisions. I know you, and you wouldn't try to talk to him about something like this -which is pretty small in comparison- unless you'd already talked about the earlier, bigger problem."

"I..."

"Also: you don't wear white sleeveless shirts."

Maka froze, her face paling, "Y-you saw the shirt?"

"Soaking in peroxide in a bucket. Points for hiding it under the sink; I probably wouldn't have found it if I didn't know that bubbling sound by heart now- paired with the fact we haven't been on missions and you're not on your period."

The blonde's face went from white to red in an instant, "H-how do you know  _THAT_?!"

Soul didn't even blink, staring Maka fearlessly in the eyes, "You're. My. Partner. I know the rhythms of your soul. Every twenty-eight days it goes from calm/occasionally-mad to pained/I-want-to-kill-something. But back to the point." he paused for a moment, "Actually, that only supports my argument: why was your soul so terrified this morning before going sad-panicked to happy-relieved? I was already half-way across the school by the time you evened out again and I decided to ask later." another pause, "I'm counting this as that later."

"Soul..." Maka's shoulders dropped, "I can't tell you. I promised."

The white haired teen tilted his head and considered his Meister, "BlackStar hasn't been out on any missions either, and the idiots around school haven't bothered him in the past dew days- certainly not enough to beat him enough to account for that much blood." he noticed the tension in her thin frame before scowling, "Quit trying to close your soul off from me. It's not working- it's only pissing me off."

Maka started, glancing up at him sheepishly before going back to staring at the tiled floor.

"...This whole thing, it was to pick up BlackStar  _specifically_ , right? If I were to go home, and rifle through the bathroom drawers and medicine cabinet, would I find anything missing?"

His partner shifted in place, "Um... You know how my scars really bother you?"

"You mean the ones that seem to just 'magically' disappear over time? How you seem to have frequent, unaccounted-for visits with the nurse?"

"...Yeah. I  _may_  have been receiving treatment for those, and I  _may_  have shared that treatment with BlackStar."

"And  _why_  did BlackStar need scar-healing cream? He doesn't exactly seem ashamed of any of his battle-marks, as his blatant flaunting in his room showed."

Maka smiled a little, peeking up at him, "You sound jealous, Soul."

"1) I have  _nothing_  to be jealous  _of_ , and 2) stop trying to distract me."

"I  _can't_ , Soul, I promised."

"He's cutting, isn't he?"

"Can't tell you."

"Maka, he's being an idiot, but you can't let some stupid promise keep you from doing something to help him!"

"I'm not! I-" she clapped her hands over her mouth. Seeing her weapon's death glare, she lowered them, "We talked. He promised never again. And I did  _not_  tell you any of this." Maka frowned as something hit her, "I never said it was scar  _cream_..."

Soul looked away, "Look, I have experience with grief-stricken stupid actions."

Maka was on him in an instant, pushing up the sleeves of his jacket and shirt, "Soul! You-"

He gently shook her off, "Stop freaking out, Tiny. You've seen me naked; I haven't got the scars anymore, and I haven't done those stupid things in years."

"What happened?"

"For it to start? When I lost Wes. I couldn't feel... anything. It helped."

"...And for it to stop?"

Soul was visibly indecisive, his soul swaying back and forth, before looking at her sideways, "...When I met you."

Maka swallowed, "Soul..."

"Come on, let's go find BlackStar so you can apologize."

* * *

Kid was only getting more frustrated the longer he was downstairs. Liz and Patty were who knew where in the writhing masses, people kept throwing themselves at him, and getting over to the speaker system was hopeless from the beginning. The flashing of the strobe lights were enough to give him a headache - _A wonder we haven't had a seizure yet..._ \- and this was supposed to be a  _fun_  and  _safe_  way to  _relieve_  stress? Kid hadn't been this stressed since BlackStar had played that prank on him the one and only time he'd ever gotten drunk, and he woke up with what he had been convinced was a permanent tattoo  _on one side_  of his face!

He rubbed at the throbbing point at his temple and tried to navigate back to the staircase. The red-and-black flashing of the lights, constantly shifting bodies and reflections from glasses, cups, screens and a myriad of other sources was extremely disorienting, turning his perfectly straightforward living room into a wriggling maze. Kid was regretting ever coming down here; he should have just stayed upstairs with Star and let the blue-haired teen distract him from the hell he found himself in now.

Honestly, the strobing, jostling, turning and shoving were enough to- Kid covered his mouth and leaned against the nearest solid surface - _A wall. Thank God!_ \- as a wave of nausea assaulted him.  _Ugh, I hate clubs..._  He'd only been mildly uneasy the last time he'd been in one, but granted, that one hadn't been as big the one his home had been converted into. He  _really_  just wanted to get get back upstairs to his bed, to BlackStar, and lay down. With a pillow over his face to smother the annoyingly powerful bass beat that pounded through his skull and only worsened the headache the lights started.

Then there was suddenly someone hanging off of him, "Hey, sweetie, dance with me!"

Kid shook her off without even looking, "No thank you." he doubted his voice was even audible over the music, but it didn't matter because the girl disappeared back into the crowd again. Choosing the safe route, Kid felt his way along the wall, eyes scanning desperately for the doorway that lead to the - _Stairs!_

He almost tripped over his feet going through the doorway, taking deep breaths now that he was away from the press of bodies, but his stomach lurched again and he closed his eyes against the feeling.  _Urgh..._  What was up with him lately? The nausea twisting his stomach was almost as bad as the chest-crushing sensation from that morning. His eyes snapped open.  _BlackStar!_  Kid raced up the stairs, through the halls, aiming for his bedroom where he'd left the blue-haired boy.

The shinigami came to a halt, panting and pulling back as the door opened just as he reached for it. Star froze, too, staring at him in a way he never had before, and Kid felt like every inch of his person was being scrutinized, memorized- which made no sense because Star had seen him nearly every day of his life and  _Kid_  wasn't the one who'd suddenly changed lately.

"...Star?" Those green eyes finally looked up into his golden ones and Kid's breath caught. He couldn't even begin to name the emotions in those verdant orbs, but they stole his breath away.

"Yeah?"

"Are... are you alright? You look..." Well, actually, he looked wonderful, tempting,  _bed-ruffled._

Then BlackStar scanned over him one more time, and then smiled. The first true,  _BlackStar_  smile the young death god had seen since Tsubaki's death. "Yeah, you know, I think I will be. I was just coming to find you."

171717


	18. Chapter 18

181818

BlackStar trotted down the stairs first, Kid (slow) behind him. By the time they hit the landing, he'd caught the hint and rounded on his best friend with huff, "Alright, what's wrong with you?"

Kid finally looked up from his deep contemplation of his shoes, "Do you know how many times I've gone up and down the stairs in the last hour?"

There was a moment of silence as Star counted, "...Six?"

"Six." Kid confirmed.

"And you're point is... what? You have something against exercise?"

"My point is that I have something against wasting my time!"

BlackStar grinned, lacing his fingers behind his head and leaning back against the wall. Kid's eyes were instantly on him, "Come on, no time spent with  _me_  is ever wasted."

Kid gave a (fake) huff, before it turned into a smirk, "Well, you've got me there, I suppose." He sighed, "Very well, take me into the torture room."

BlackStar rolled his eyes as he pushed off the wall and grabbed Kid's hand, dragging him in; the beat coming up through the very floor and shaking their bones. It was loud enough to overpower any other sounds that might have reached their ears.

...Loud enough to drown out a person's own thoughts. BlackStar was starting to like this idea after all. He turned to beam at Kid, who did his best to grimace back, making the blue haired teen laugh soundlessly compared to the booming bass as he pulled the young death god further into the chaos. Alone, this would have been hell for him: seeing all the happy couples on the floor, all the whispering partners in darkened corners, all the joy and togetherness he no longer had the chance for; but with Kid here...

Well, at the very least, misery loved company, right? He navigated the floor backwards, going by nothing more than Kid's expressions and flickering eyes looking over his shoulder. He got worried as the shinigami's face took on a distinct green tinge and altered his course, turning around when the light changed from flickering red and black to white; the kitchen door. He pulled Kid inside and started rubbing his back as he leaned over his knees, "Kid, are you okay?!"

"I'm fine."

BlackStar scowled, "You're a terrible liar. What's wrong? Did you spot something asymmetrical in there? Where was it? I'll go fix it." he turned to go back into the Great Room when Kid caught his wrist.

"BlackStar... It's not my OCD. It's that... the flickering and the flashing and the writhing and the-the... all of that stuff. It makes me feel like I'm walking on, on squishy, asymmetrical Jello or something. Ugh, so unattractive."

BlackStar snorted as he stepped away, getting things out of the cupboards before coming back and handing Kid a fizzing glass, "You're Death The Kid, you look fine rumpled and tossed from a building with your clothes half scorched off."

Kid's cheeks pinked a bit even as he winced, "Oh,  _don't_  remind me of that mission." He took the glass and sniffed it, sneezing and covering his nose with his sleeve, "What is this?"

"The Amazing Star Hangover Cure. Whatever your stomach troubles, this'll settle it." Kid's expression was unimpressed, "Don't give me that look, you took it willingly enough when I gave it to you-"

" _Yes_ , well, I was hardly in my right mind  _then_ , after you'd  _tattooed my face_."

BlackStar rolled his eyes, wrapped his hand around Kid's, and held the glass close to his face, "Drink it, or I'll make you."

Golden eyes narrowed, "You  _wouldn't_."

He grinned, "Try me."

"You haven't done that since we were ten."

"You haven't been this stubborn since we were ten." When Kid still didn't move, he stared him in the eyes, "Eight." Golden orbs widened, "Seven. Six."

"BlackStar, really-"

"Five."

"I'll just stay upstairs and-"

"Four."

"Lie in bed or some-"

"Three."

"-thing. I don't even want to-"

"Two."

"Dance or anything."

"One..."

"Okay! Alright, alright, I'll  _drink_  it!" Kid downed the whole glass before BlackStar could decide to go on with  _it_  anyway, a disgusted shudder going down his spine at the gross concoction. He thunked the glass on the counter, coughing at the taste and glaring one-eyed at the blue-haired teen, "I *cough* hope you're happy *hack* now."

BlackStar grinned at him, "Very." he said smugly.

"Ugh, I don't know what you put in that to make it so wretched."

"I really don't think you want to." It was a simple recipe actually, just alka-seltzer made with a flat beer (hair of the dog), two eggs, and some hot sauce.

Kid paled, "No, I suppose I don't." And really, once one got past the taste (and assuming the 'cure' itself didn't make you hurl),  _whatever it was_ , worked great for getting rid of nausea or sour stomach. "Was there any actual reason that I couldn't just retreat and remove the need for the...  _cure_?"

"Because this is, well, technically anyway, our party, and as such it's our jobs as hosts to -ya know-  _host_  it."

The taste finally fading, Kid perked up. This was more like the BlackStar he'd always known, "What do you have planned?"

BlackStar laced his fingers behind his head again -a sure sign of mischief- and grinned, "Well... Our sound system, our music choice, right?"

"...And?"

"And I  _may_  have... 'borrowed' one of Patty's CDs." He reached further down, pulling the CD case from the back of his shirt and holding it up.

Kid's eyes widened before the smirk slowly overtook his face, "...BlackStar, whoever said you have no ability for subterfuge and sabotage had no idea what they were talking about. I could  _kiss_  you right now!"

"Hehe, sorry: missed your chance!" And he really hoped Kid didn't notice the color dusting his cheeks, "So, you up for helping me clear the dance floor?"

"Are we just going to sneak over and put it in the CD changer?"

"Are you kidding? Have I ever done anything the easy way? That old boom box still in the hallway closet?"

"Yeah..."

"And we have those connector wires from the karaoke machine Liz got for Christmas, and the broken giraffe clock Patty was given last Easter..."

"I take back what I said: you're not just capable, you're a  _genius_!"

"Hahaha! I've been telling you that for years! C'mon, let's get all these bastards out of our house."

* * *

 

"...Do you actually have any idea what you're doing?"

"Hell yeah. 'Snot that different from hot-wiring a car."

" _How_  did you learn to hot-wire a car?"

"...A lot happened during your training trip with the sisters."

"That does not answer my question."

"Sid...  _may_  have accused me of being a highly visible ninja and said I made a terrible assassin since my targets would be able to see or hear me from a mile off. So I kinda... stole his car in the middle of the night to prove him wrong."

"...You stole a teacher's car?"

"Truck, actually. You wouldn't have liked it anyway: it was all rusted and asymmetrical."

"Oh,  _well then_..."

"I'd like to point out you're helping me rig this whole thing up in your own house."

"I'd like to return point that  _this_  is not a felony."

"Well I didn't  _steal it_  steal it; more like 'borrowed it'... And strung it up in the grand ballroom, hung with Christmas lights. Anyway, insurance paid for it and the grand ballroom got that new chandelier Shinigami was saying it needed."

"...And did Sid eventually get it  _back_?"

"Uh, no. No, not really. Everyone  _really_  liked the chandelier idea. But he got it replaced, admitted I'd make a great ninja assassin if I put my mind to it, and everyone was happy in the end. ...Course, that was before Stein stole the new truck. I think Sid gave up on owning vehicles after that."

"...What the  _hell_  did I miss when I was gone?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? Alright, that should be it. Now instead of switching to the last CD in the changer, it'll reroute to here and start playing."

"Now what?"

"Now we hide the evidence and be somewhere as far away from this spot as possible, and we be there  _very_  visibly."

"...Kitchen?"

"Kitchen."

* * *

 

Maka sighed and leaned back against the wall, "Where in the world are they at?!"

"Aahhh! What the fuck?!"

Soul blinked and pointed toward the hallway, just opening his mouth when Maka glared him into continued silence, "I got that, thanks."

"Anytime."

* * *

 

Kid and BlackStar high-fived after setting their plot in motion, and for just a moment, it was like the past two weeks hadn't happened; like they were still young and innocent and BlackStar was still dragging Kid into his schemes against Sid and the other teachers. Like they were care-free children again with nothing more to worry about than each other and covering their tracks so they didn't wind up grounded or worse.

And then the illusion shattered when a hand landed on BlackStar's shoulder and his training and instincts kicked in. He had the offending teen on their back on the floor and a kunai in his other hand before it even registered in his mind, staring down into startled, angry, scared eyes, "Aahhh! What the fuck?!"

He blinked, recognizing one of the boys who'd managed to trap him in the halls of Shibusen, who'd gotten the drop on him, made him lie to Kid just to save their pathetic hides. And for just an instant, BlackStar wondered if he should continue his downward strike instead of pulling himself back. Then he remembered himself, remembered  _Kid_ , and twirled the blade back away, standing up and stuffing his hands in his pockets to hide their trembling.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Kid stared emotionlessly down at the sprawled teen, "Does the word 'Assassin' mean nothing to you? Not the brightest idea to sneak up on one from behind while their attention is elsewhere."

He scowled and his hand twitched, "I wouldn't try that if I were you..."

Kid didn't look away from the orange eyes as they widened when a tri-colored scythe appeared just over his throat, "Hello, Maka. Enjoying the party?"

"Soul and I were just thinking it was a little tame, actually. You two seem to be having fun, though. Wouldn't mind if we... cut in, would you?"

"Not at all, feel free."

"You're all insane!"

"No, you just chose a very bad person to threaten... Huh, what's you name, anyway? It's only polite to know the name of someone you're thinking about decapitating, right?"

"Enough." Everyone looked at BlackStar, "Enough. You, get lost."

Maka lifted Soul and stepped back, letting the boy scurry away, "Why did you make me do that? He did something to you, didn't he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Kid shoulder-bumped him, "Star, I learned my terrible lying from you. You don't lose it like that over people. You didn't react like that the first time Patty jumped on you, and she and Liz had-"

"It's... stupid. Just forget about it, alright?" BlackStar ran a hand through his hair, "Um... What are you and Soul doing here?"

Kid gave him a look from the corner of his eye, "Oh, very smooth."

Star returned the look, and raised him a stuck-out tongue, "Hey, Kid."

"What?"

"Shut up."

Maka cleared her throat, "Ahem, I came to apologize for, well, the party. I know you- neither of you, wanted it."

BlackStar scoffed, "It was hardly your fault. I mean, sure, you went all traitor-y and voted for it even when it was obviously the wrong choice..." she winced, then BlackStar grinned, "But the old man said everything was already sent anyway, so it didn't really matter what any of us thought." the ash-blond stood there for another moment, opening and closing her mouth, looking for something to say, when BlackStar stepped past her and patted her shoulder, "It's fine, Maka. We're good." then he moved on and looked back for his partner-in-crime, "C'mon, Kid; let's hit the dance floor and make a scene."

181818


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have a longer, very special chapter in honor of Posting on Friday the 13th! And several in-references for a few of my in-need-and-away people-bunnies (love you girls!). Hope you enjoy!

191919

Liz sighed and leaned against the hallway table, "Ugh, BlackStar's with Kid again."

Patty looked up from her hugging -the sisters having already saved the creature in Patty's arms from one kicking and two tramplings when it hadn't stayed-put in the room as it should have- "How do ya know that, sis?"

"I've got that phantom hot chocolate feeling in my stomach again."

"I like that feeling!"

Liz straightened and wrapped her arms around herself, "Well you can have it."

"...Big sis? Are you okay?"

"I... I've been better, Patty."

The shorter blonde offered up the round feline she held, "Do you want to hug Pushi?"

Liz scrounged up a (somewhat pained) smile, "Nah, that's okay, you keep him close and hug him for me, alright?"

Patty nodded solemnly and squished it to her chest, "Kay... But! But you can hug him if you want, without even asking or anything!"

"Yeah, sounds good." She answered absent-mindedly, following the disgustingly bubbly feeling in her middle, which led them back down the stairway, and she stopped half-way down, sitting on the stairs and looking out over the living room ('Great room') through the 'peeky hole' window above the mirror. She sighed and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she saw BlackStar pull her Meister behind the sound system, unable to stop a smile, "Looks like we don't have to look anymore. Seems like Kid and BlackStar are already working on something to crash this whole catastrophe."

"Sis..."

"Yeah, Patty?"

"Well, um... Can I go dance? You know, since it won't work much longer?"

Her little sister, flailing around on the dance floor like an octopus? "Sure, I'll hold Pushi for you, alright?"

"Kay! Thanks, Liz! You're the bestest sister  _ever_!"

Liz let out a huff of air as the cat-thing was shoved against her diaphragm, her arms wrapping around it automatically. "Yeah..." She looked down at the round cat-ball that blinked right back at her and let out a questioning purr sound. "What? Now even  _you_  don't believe me when I say I'm fine?" She held it with one arm and plopped her chin in her other hand,"Who made you the expert? We already saved you three times tonight. What do you know, anyway? You'd have been devoured by something or other or killed by an overenthusiastic Meister if it weren't for us."  _Well, if it weren't for BlackStar..._

Because that was the thing, wasn't it? Kid would have been an OCD, asymmetrical mess if it hadn't been for BlackStar. Liz knew how much her Meister depended on the other boy; Kid could barely function without Star around. Always worrying, always paranoid.

* * *

_Liz looked back as their Meister stopped, "Kid?"_

_She saw a visible tremor go through him, "It may be just my imagination... But I have the awful feeling that the painting in my room is leaning ever so slightly to the left."_

_She face-faulted, "Kid! Seriously?! Is now_ _**really** _ _the time to be worrying about something like that?"_

_"Of course it is! Symmetry_ _**must** _ _be maintained at all times!"_

_She grabbed him by the back of his jacket and started dragging him down the hall, "Don't worry about it."_

_"I'm worrying, I'm worrying!"_

_She sighed and hauled him upright, "This is going to completely distract you until we deal with it, isn't it?"_

_"Of course it is! How can-"_

_"Stop. Alright." she started fishing around her jeans, finally pulling out a black cell phone, "Here. Lord Death gave me this in case we ran into any emergencies. It's supposed to get a signal anywhere. You have_ _**one** _ _phone call to fix it, then we're finishing the mission._ _**Deal?** _ _"_

_Kid held out his hand, "Deal." She dropped the phone in his waiting palm and the son of death wasted no time in spinning around and dialing, "Star? Yeah. No, we are. Egypt. Yes. Well... I'm- I mean... My painting, in my room; is it off-center? Yeah, that one."_

_Liz crossed her arms, patience ticking down. Why did Kid always turn to the last of the Star clan?_ _**They** _ _were his partners, they should be enough for him!_ _**Their** _ _word should be good enough to go on. After all,_ _**how** _ _could the painting have gotten tilted in the first place? No one went in Kid's room except him... and occasionally BlackStar._

_Liz was only pulled out of her thoughts at the sound of the cell snapping shut and Kid holding it out to her with a serene look on his face, "The picture was perfectly straight after all; it was only my imagination."_

_"Gee, you mean no one snuck into your room and tilted it just for the express purpose of driving you insane? How surprising."_

_"Your sarcasm is not appreciated."_

_"It very rarely is. Still needed said. So can we please get on with the mission now?"_

_"Kid! Sis! Look what I found!" Patty came up to them with a cat... ball..._ _**thing** _ _in her hands, "He's so cute~ Can we keep 'im? Can we? Can we? Pleaaaaase?"_

_Kid plucked it from her hands and held it up, tipping it this way and that, "Of course, Patty! It's- Hey, wait..."_

_"What is it?"_

_"It's- It's- It's_ _**asymmetrical!** _ _"_

_Seeing her sister's devastated face, Liz grabbed Kid's arm before he could punt the poor creature down the hall, "Kid, now wait a minute. Take a deep breath here and think about it." he looked unconvinced, and Liz bit the inside of her cheek at having to play this card, "Think about... what BlackStar would think if you broke Patty's heart just because her new pet wasn't perfect."_

_The reaper froze in place, slowly lowering his arms, looking between the creature and Patty's begging eyes. The younger Thompson clasped her hands together, "PLEASE, Kid? We can symmetrify him! Please? I'll never ask for anything_ _**ever again** _ _!"_

_He sighed, the sound long and suffering, and handed the round cat back to the short blonde, "Very well. Assuming it's okay with Father... you can keep it."_

_Patty let out a high-pitched sound that had Kid and Liz both wincing and rubbing their ears as the little blue-eyed teen grabbed her new pet and practically crushed the life out of it between her arms and breasts, "Kyaaaaaa~! Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!" She held it up -the thing letting out a purr- and beamed at him, "I'm going to name you -hey, sis, what are those kitty-stickers called?"_

_"Pusheen."_

_"I'm going to call you Lord Sir Fluffy Pusheen the Snuggly!" she proudly announced before rubbing cheeks with the cat-ball._

_"That's a little... long."_

_"Well, we can call him Pushi for short! Welcome to our family, Pushi! I love you!"_

* * *

Liz sighed and rested her head on top of Pushi, spotting Patty going nuts, the others warily making a circle of space around her as she started to do the worm. Liz couldn't help it and started snickering, hiding her face in Pushi's fur to muffle herself as she completely lost it. And if there were some tears mixed in with the laughter, well, there was no one around to see it and Pushi wasn't likely to give the secret away.

* * *

When Patty jumped up after her dance, the people around her were either clapping for her or gawking at her mad skillz with dropped jaws. She heard clapping she knew and turned to see her beloved big sister in the doorway to the hall with Pushi in her arms, clapping slowly for her. She beamed and flounced over in front of Liz, "Are you feeling better now, sis?"

Liz smiled down at her, "...You know, I think I am. Thank you, Patty."

Aha! She just nodded and trounced to her sis' side, grinning hugely. She'd  _known_  all her sister needed was some Pushi-snugglin'! There was just nothing that was quite the same as hugging the fluffy kitty-ball. Well, except for being hugged by Liz, but Liz didn't have a Liz of her own, so Patty would share Pushi with her.

Patty frowned when she realized her big sister wasn't looking at her, scanning out over the crowd, then smiled again when she saw what Liz was watching. BlackStar was dragging Kid into the room. She tilted her head as a thought struck, "Hey, sis."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think BlackStar has the hot chocolate feeling when he's with Kid, too?"

Her sister's deeper blue, almost gray eyes watched the pair, "Yeah, I think he does."

Patty frowned in confusion at this new information, "Then... if they both feel the snugglies, why don't they snuggle?"

Liz looked down at her with that kind, loving, big sister look, "Because people are idiots. They're afraid to take risks and afraid to be rejected. They always think there'll be another tomorrow to try, to work up their courage to say what's really in their hearts. And that's what makes them stupid, because we never know if there will even  **be**  another tomorrow, we never know what that may bring, and what it may take away from us."

Feeling the pain in her sister's soul, Patty moved closer and leaned against Liz, thinking of something to distract her greatest sister in the world, "Ooh! Look!"

Liz's head snapped in the direction Patty pointed, seeing the pink-haired girl hanging all over Kid, "Well, this should be interesting. Let's get a closer look."

* * *

"C'mon."

"You know that punch is spiked, right?"

BlackStar forced the red cup into his hand, "Yeah, but I doubt it's enough to affect us with a single glass, and I'm kinda curious what kind of booze they managed to smuggle in. Now quit complaining and bottom's up with me."

Kid sighed, knowing he wouldn't win this argument with BlackStar -there were few times he could remember when he  _had_ \- raised his glass with a simple 'cheers' and downed the entire wretched concoction in sync with his best friend. Well it wasn't as bad as BlackStar's 'cure', at least. "Not too bad."

BlackStar made a face into his empty cup, "...Was that cinnamon? In strawberry punch?"

Kid tossed his cup towards the nearest trash can, noticing that he and Star were once again perfectly timed and their plasticwear actually clacked together as they fell into the garbage, "Well we're hardly in the presence of discerning wine connoisseurs, Star. What did you really expect?"

"I dunno. Vodka? Not Schnapps."

"Someone probably raided their parents' christmas stash. You should be thankful it wasn't peppermint."

BlackStar shuddered, "Ugh, I didn't really need that flavor-combo in my mind, thanks."

Kid smirked, "Anytime."

"Heeey! It's you again, shweety! Dance wif meee~" Kid froze as he was once again being crawled on. He turned to the -pink?  _Really?_  Was it dyed or natural like Star's?- pink haired girl from earlier, and- oh dear lord, she was  _hideous_! Her bangs parted to one side and held with a single moon hairclip. Her clothes were askew, one purple boot half-way unzipped, her multi-spaghetti-strapped top had several of the impossible-to-tame stands hanging -ASYMMETRICALLY!- off one shoulder, one earring missing -in the cup she was holding?- and she had two rings on one hand with three on the other.

Kid shuddered in pure horror and faced forward, focusing on an indistinct point in the opposite side of the room.  _Don't say it. Don't say it._  Because any suggestion he made alluding to getting her undressed was  _guaranteed_  to be taken in the worst possible way, and he wanted  _nothing_  to do with her in the first place!  _Don't say it. Don't say it!_  When she didn't get the hint and leave, Kid was forced to hold his breath as well: the girl smelled like a flower shop doused with alcohol. Obviously  _someone_  hadn't minded the taste of cinnamon-strawberry as much as Star had.

BlackStar waited for Kid to throw the asymmetrical girl off, but it quickly became apparent that Kid was more affected than he'd expected: stiff as a statue and blank faced. BlackStar scowled at the flowery tramp he could smell from three feet away.  _No one_  made Kid go all Freezy Screen of Death except him!

BlackStar pulled Kid from the other side -the girl almost falling from where she'd been leaned ( _draping_ ) on him- and threw his arm around the death god's shoulders, beaming at the girl, "Sorry, hun; 'fraid this one's mine."

She stared at them goggle-eyed, intoxicated mind very obviously trying to work through the implications of that. Then her face cleared up like she'd been struck with the answer from above, " _Ohhh..._  Thach's gret! C'n-can I watch you kiss?"

BlackStar face-faulted and Kid nearly fainted, "EXCUSE ME?!"

Huh, and BlackStar had thought  _he_  had a squeaky voice when startled; he had nothing on Kid. That was information he planned on using someday...

"C'n I-"

"NO YOU MAY NOT!"

"Kid! Quit yelling! Geez, do you want everyone to ask why you're freaking out?  _Chill_." Then he turned to the girl watching avidly as Kid went through his hyperventilation-prevention breathing exercises, "Sorry: we don't give public performances."

"Awww..."

"You boys having fun over here?"

Kid looked at Liz and Patty like they were his saviors, "Liz!"

"Kid!" The elder Thompson mocked back.

The younger blonde's hand shot into the air, "Patty!"

The pink haired girl's attention was instantly caught by the cat in Liz's hold, leaning down to it, "AWW! It'sho  _cute_!"

Patty plucked her pet from her sister and showed him off, "I know! Isn't he the snuggliest?! His name is Pushi and he is my Pushi."

She smiled, "Hi, Puscshi- Putch- Pushi! I'm- I'm... Whatsh my name agin?"

Liz sidled over to them, "Just how much has that chick had to drink?"

BlackStar shrugged, "Too much?"

Then she clapped her hands together, "Ah! I 'member now!"

"Ack!" BlackStar stood still as the contents of the still-unknown girl's drink soaked his shirt, turning it pink, and dripped from his hair.

Liz and Kid both pointed to different spots, "You've got a little-"

"Yeah, I got that, thanks."

"...I fergot agin..."

Casting a glare at the Pink Menace, BlackStar turned on his heels and stalked off towards the kitchen again to clean off, Kid following and Liz trying to extract Patty and Pushi from the (drunken trouble-maker) girl. Star opened the kitchen door with more force than necessary, grabbing one of the towels from the handle of the oven and tossing it on his sopping hair, blotting at his shirt with another, "I changed my mind again; I'm back to hating the party."

Kid stood behind him and started drying his hair for him. BlackStar was grateful the death god couldn't see his face from that angle, "Well it shouldn't last much longer anyway."

"Yeah, whatever." Star sighed and gave up after getting most of the liquid -if not the color- from his top.

Kid leaned over his shoulder, "You missed a spot on your cheek, there."

Star turned his head, "Wher-" He froze in place as Kid leaned forward and  _licked him_! "Wh-what are you doing?!" his face matched his ruined shirt.

Kid's expression turned confused, "I'm... not really sure. You just had a spot on your cheek and I had to clean it."

"With your  _tongue_?!"

Kid huffed and went back to drying, "Well if it bothers you I won't do it again!"

"Ow! The fuck, Kid! That hurts! You're squashing my-" what? His what? BlackStar was notoriously hard-headed and brushing his hair even when it was tangled was rarely a problem...

"Um, B-BlackStar?"

"What?" he snapped back.

"Y-you have ears."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"No, I mean... Cat ears. Blue ones. On your head. In your hair."

BlackStar closed his eyes, took several  _very_  deep breaths, and opened them again, "...Please tell me you're joking."

Kid reached up and tugged one of the new appendages, "I'm not."

"Ow! Will you  _stop that_?! Wait." he turned around and eyed his best friend, "Stick out your tongue."

"What?"

"Am I speaking French? Stick. Out. Your. Tongue. Don't make me make you." Kid reluctantly opened his mouth, "...You've got a cat's rough tongue."

Well as far as whatever prank that was being played on them was, that wasn't so bad... Green eyes widened drastically. "What? BlackStar,  _what?!_ "

"Nothing!"

Kid huffed and went to turn around when BlackStar grabbed him, "No!"

"WHAT?!" He wrenched his arm out of the other teen's grasp, turning around and spotting  _it_.  _Oh. My. God._ "I have a tail!" And it was asymmetrically-striped no less!

* * *

BlackStar and Kid burst into the living room together, into the midst of  _utter chaos_. There were two people on top of the curtain rods, one on the mantle of the fireplace, several bottle-necked at the foyer doorway with shouts about getting to the mirror hanging there, hisses and yowls from every direction, and some who were staring at their new body-parts- be they whiskers, ears, or tails.

"What the-" Kid began.

"Hell?!" Star finished.

"Soul,  _leave my ponytails alone!_ "

"I'm  _trying_ , dammit! I just can't!" Maka finally hissed and lashed out, leaving a set of four gashes on her partner's cheek. "Ah! What the fuck?!"

Maka clapped her hands over her mouth, "Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Soul!"

Liz made her way through the panicking crowd, "I see it hit you, too."

BlackStar eyed her, "But not you?"

"No. I think it must be a drug or something, because Patty and I haven't had anything to eat or drink."

"Well I haven't ea- AHH!" Without even thinking about it, BlackStar rounded on Kid and tugged sharply on the death god's tail in immediate retaliation for the attack on his -very sensitive- feline ears, "What the fuck, Kid?!"

"Yowch! The punch! It's the only thing we had. The punch."

Green eyes narrowed, "Look, I'm sorry I didn't know someone put some kind of  _catifying potion_  in the punch; but if you pull my ears again, I  _will_  tie you to a chair and tattoo your face.  _Asymmetrically_ , on  _both_  sides just so you won't be able to get it fixed later."

Kid took a step back, tail fluffing out in horror at the thought. "Sorry... I over-reacted." he frowned, "Which is unusual." he looked around, "In fact,  _everyone_  seems to be over-reacting."

"Well they're now cat-teens. A certain amount of panic is to be expected."

"And where's Patty?"

Liz sighed, "She's over at the tables tasting everything and trying to grow cat-parts."

BlackStar and Kid glanced at each other before nodding, "Yeah, that's Patty."

Star looked around, "Where's Patty's pet?"

"I think he's hiding. We had to save him three times from drunk idiots."

Kid stiffened, "Patty's cat had a bad run-in with some drunks, and now everyone who had some of that drink is sprouting cat-parts?"

The trio shared a look, "Find that cat!" And that was, of course, when the outer wall exploded.

191919


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of important things to say this time around. First of all, being chapter 20, I wanted to do something special. First, I want to thank all my beloved People Bunnies who've helped me out with ideas and support and wonderful suggestions. Extra special thanks goes out to Zo, Cat-chan, Queeny, and Lily-chan; for all being so amazingly wonderful to follow and suggest things for BOTH of my Soul Eater fics. Love you girls!
> 
> Special mention goes out to Sol's Darkness, and Queeny, and Cat-chan; you girls win: kitty parts stay (don't worry for those that that bothers, this isn't a fetish-fic, they won't be THAT prominent), and I will work on that drunken!Kid one-shot (Feed my bunnies!)!
> 
> Now: I'm posting this chapter mere minutes before midnight this evening. The reason for the delay is that I had about half (more like a third now...) of a chapter written this morning, when my computer decided to have a stroke around noon and erased it all. I had a good pity-cry, took a nap, then woke up at four with all the determination of BlackStar to get back in here and get a chapter ready for you all. I dug in deep, PULLED, and kicked both Life and Writer's Block's asses! So, despite fate being a bitch and trying to ruin things, I've gotten a TRIPLE-LENGTH chapter up! (I've got the standard chapter-number trio at the points I would have otherwise turned into separate chapters, in case anyone's curious.)
> 
> At the end of the chapter, the cleaver weapon described, in my head, is an ever-so-slightly altered version of the cleaver used by Berry The Chopper from Fullmetal Alchemist. Google's littered with pics for reference.
> 
> Finally, a quote (slightly altered) for anyone who feels like just giving up and giving in out there: "When life gives you lemons, make grape juice, then sit back and let life wonder how the fuck you did that."

 

202020

Well-trained combatants (and likely the most sober ones in the whole mansion) the trio sprang into action; diving for the safety of the cream colored sofa to avoid dangerous debris as shattered plasterboard and brick flew. Liz rolled and curled up so there was enough space for the other two, "What the hell was that?! Did someone put their car in drive instead of reverse?"

Kid's back was to the back of the piece of furniture, "Hardly. Unless it was a semi; the outer walls are far more resistant than that."

Without answering either of them, BlackStar was the first one to get to peek over the couch to try and scout the source of the attack, seeing a vast shadowy form as the plaster dust settled and cleared ( _That's going to be a pain in the ass to clean..._ ) and came eye to glowing ruby eye with... whatever the hell that thing was, looking larger and more monstrous than any Kishin he'd ever seen. He was about to duck back and relay his information when malicious crystal red eyes bored into his, a dark wave of  _something_  swamping his mind like a burning black tide, making him choke on his words.

Like being caught up in a mudslide, BlackStar cringed in pain as he felt mentally battered and submerged by that  _something_.  **Anger. Determination.** And then Kid popped up next to him in concern.  **Satisfaction!**

Pulling his hands away from his pounding head -when had he even put them there?- BlackStar tackled Kid from the side, sprawling them out across Liz's legs, "No!" Less than an instant later, the wall was pierced by a spindly black limb- right where Kid's head had been.  **Frustration.**  BlackStar's skull threatened to explode in a glorious wave of pain at all the movement and impact of the last few seconds and he clenched his teeth tightly on the (scream) moan of pain to keep it locked in his throat, leaning his head on the nearest surface, which at the moment was Kid's shoulder.

The manor, however, was full of (roughly) equally trained fighters, and they sprang into action, swarming the Kishin-thing together while others got the incapacitated students away from the battleground. A gout of flame lit the floor up orange in contrast to the red-black flicker of the strobe lights. Liz leaned down over the both of them as the flame razed the area, "God, please don't let anyone set the manor on fire, please. I don't want to go back to being a street-rat by default."

Kid's eyes weren't on the fight.. He held the blue-haired teen as he sat him up and leaned him against the back of the couch, never letting go in case he fell (which he would have), "BlackStar? Star, answer me."

If he could have, he would have, but he was too busy trying not to bite his tongue off as his brain throbbed in pain, his senses, already enhanced, painfully sharp with his new feline ears catching every shout and groan, every distorted, watery roar that  _thing_  let out- and the fucking stereo system was still working just fine, blaring out a wretched techno-pop horror; the sensation like nails on a chalkboard overtop of being awake while vivisected with no pain-killers. BlackStar's thoughts crashed randomly together, but several were prominent enough that he was annoyed with Kid for focusing on him and his little aneurysm here.  _Where are Maka and Soul? They were near that wall. And Patty?_ BlackStar cracked open his eyes again and looked at the other in what -at any other time- might have been considered a glare.  _C'mon, Kid!_

Liz was the first one to realize it, "Where's-"

"Sis!"

Liz shot up, "Patty!" her blue eyes flickered, "Down!"

Patty sprang to the side as Liz herself dropped to the ground, two impaling limbs going through the air where their hearts would have been moments before. The dark-blonde took in her Meister (and sister, as Patty crawled over to them), "Okay, fair to say that thing's attracted to sound. And it looks a lot like the one we faced earlier."

Kid glanced over from BlackStar for just a moment, having not seen the thing for himself yet, "Do you think it's the same one?"

Liz shook her head, "Almost definitely not; it's not nearly big enough. The one we faced was  _massive_ , and wouldn't fit in the mansion, let alone the first floor."

The death god's expression was equally worried and contemplative, "A new brand of enemy, then? We need to find out all we can about them..."

"Got it!" Patty nodded, and jumped up and ran into the fray.

"Dammit! Wait for me! Argh, foolish girl!" she huffed, "Fine! Let's see if that thing reacts to motion as well as sound. Patty!"

The smaller blonde's voice echoed back, "Yep!"

"Wai-" the sisters were gone before Kid could object. He hissed, " _Idiot!_  Running blindly into enemy hands, they  _both_  must have gotten that gene." Worried yellow\gold eyes flicked back his way, "Star..."

Hands in his hair in an attempt to keep his brain from exploding and splattering all over his best friend, BlackStar bit off the word, barely missing his tongue, "Go."

"What?"

 _Dammit, Kid!_  He was sitting here,  _useless_ , and unable to so much as stand, let alone fight, and one of their best combatants was playing nurse instead of joining the battle. BlackStar was damned if he was going to be a burden like that; Kid's participation might very well save one of their friends'  _lives_. Fuck him, to hell with the honor of even numbers-  _Get out and FIGHT, dammit!_  "Go!"

Kid reached for him and BlackStar flinched away, snarling lowly.

 _Then_  he glared, with every once of mental agony he was feeling, the still-ache of his heart, the guilt of not having saved his own partner because of foolish pride; because he'd  _stood aside and let her go alone._  Like the idiot he always was, and- "Damn your ass!  _GO!_ "

Kid hesitated for only a moment longer before he nodded and went after his weapons. BlackStar collapsed back against the couch with a high-pitched whine slipping past his guard as he closed his eyes. Multi-colored jags of lightning flashed in the darkness behind his eyelids, a rainbow of agony and confusing emotion. Aside from helping to protect their friends, BlackStar was grateful Kid wasn't here to see him like this, because, death god help him, if he'd had a weapon within reach, he'd have killed himself to end the onslaught of pain.

* * *

Patty cartwheeled away from the spear-like -tentacles? Vines? Then she mentally shrugged, because remembering things like that was more Kid and Liz's jobs- limbs as they reacted to her and Liz's voices as her sister leaped and rolled across the floor. She transformed and fell right into her sister's hand as Liz came to a stop, crouched low to the ground in perfect form, aiming over one knee with her arms held perfectly straight, and fired.

Her attention went to the side since Liz had the Kishin in her sights.  _"Hey, Kid!"_

Liz's gray-blue eyes flicked to their Meister for a second, then she tossed Patty his way as she jumped up and transformed herself. The shinigami caught them both expertly and turned to fire on their enemy, easily avoiding hitting any of the others facing the creature.  _"Soul Resonance?"_

Kid gave a mental headshake.  _No, too much potential for friendly-fire. And if I were close enough to avoid it, I'd be too exposed in the time it took to charge._

_"Then we do it the hard way?"_

Acquiescence trickled through their soul bond.  _The hard way._

* * *

_"BlackStar? What are you doing?"_

_He glanced up at the young death god, "I'm training."_

_"You're in the infirmary from training too much! What are you thinking?!"_

_"...The others, they called me a burden. I'm NOT a burden! I'm the last of the Star clan! I won't be a burden to anyone! I'm going to surpass God and show them all!"_

_"But, you AREN'T a burden. You're great at all the physical things."_

_"Not good enough. I'm going to get stronger. I'll be the strongest, you just watch and see. No matter how hard I have to work, I'll prove them all wrong. I'm going to be the best and if the training has me spitting blood then so be it."_

* * *

BlackStar didn't give up, not ever. It wasn't in him, he didn't know how to surrender, how to stop, how  _not_  to fight back. It wasn't who he was: he got put down and got right back up again, then trained harder than ever. He was honest and straight forward and tackled his problems head-on.

The blue-haired teen might not have been the best at mental exercises -hadn't gotten a grade above a C in his entire life- and had no sixth sense, no Soul Perception like so many other of the students, he  _never_  stopped trying; it just wasn't in him. Even now, faced with this... this overwhelming, mind-shattering pain, he held on. Ground his teeth until his jaw ached, dug his fingers into hair, drawing blood -careful to avoid his new,  _stupidly sensitive_  appendages- and he  _fought_.

Curled up in a ball, he flinched as sensations of pain washed over him, but he refused to give in, to cry out, to let it  _win_. Slashes of color across the inside of his mind were offset by dots of sharper ones like blood drops on a pristine floor.

_I won't give in. I won't!_

* * *

Kid dove to the side and another wave of spear-tentacles shot out, eyes never leaving the threat as he continued to fire off shots. Most blocked with their Weapon Partners, but some weren't as lucky and screams cut the air through obnoxious music blaring in the background, causing others to lose their concentration. They were fighting at diminished capacity: most too drunk to even wield or transform, some unable to come to terms with their new body parts and having it affect their abilities- some of them not able to transform because of it; one poor girl losing half of her new tail and making Kid's frizz out in sympathy.

 _We're getting slaughtered..._  One very minor good point was that there were now fewer potential friendly-fire targets, but it seemed to be almost a moot point, because Kid had to be still to charge up his Death Cannon, and even a moment of stillness was like a flashing neon 'kill me!' sign to the Kishin-like creature.

His attention was forcibly dragged from the battle happening around them by Liz.  _"Kid! I see Maka and Soul!"_

Yellow\gold eyes flicked to where she mentally pointed, seeing their friends under a large section of the wall that had come down, Soul covering his Meister, a rill of blood trickling from the ash-blonde's temple.  _Can you get them?_

 _"I can!"_ Patty volunteered.

With a nod through their bond, Kid flipped her through the air towards their unconscious friends where she transformed back in a flash of pink, going low to the ground to avoid notice and carefully lifting the fallen section of wall from the duo. The Kishin-creature roared in apparent fury and Patty looked up just in time to be one of the victims to its change in tactics as a destructively powerful tentacle swung around the room, taking out half of their remaining forces and slamming into bodies with enough force to send them painfully slamming into walls hard enough to crack plaster and bones both. Patty hit the wall in sync with several other spine-shuddering  _cracks_  and  _thumps_ , face a pained mask before she fell limp.

Liz was out of his hand in an instant, and running for her beloved sibling, "PATTY!"

"Liz, no!" Kid ran after the blonde as she crouched by Patty and started gently shaking her.

"Come on, Little Giraffe, open your eyes for me. Patty,  _please_. Wake up. Patty. Patty!" Liz's shout for her sister turned into an agonized scream as she was pinned to the wall like a butterfly by another spear. That scream and the burning pain in her shoulder brought Kid to his knees in shock. Never before in any battle had his weapons been injured, never had he felt their pain echo through the soul bond they all shared.

"LIZ!"

* * *

202020

BlackStar's head snapped up at the sound of his friends' shouts filtering through all the swamping sensations.  **Satisfaction!**   _Fuck no!_  He dug his fingers into his scalp,  _hard_ , biting clean through his lip at the same time and using the physical pain to ground himself.  _This. Is. Not. ME!_

There was a loud  _snap_  that resounded through his head and... soul? And he could suddenly feel the difference. The Kishin roared- in  _pain_  BlackStar realized. Because, somehow, that thing had been siphoning its pain into  _him_  so it wouldn't feel it. He could still feel it like an oil slick in his mind, but it no longer had a grip on him.

He shot to his feet without an instant of hesitation and launched himself into the fray. He might not have had a partner anymore, but he was  _no one's_  burden. He could be just as deadly with a weapon as without one. There was a chilling tingle as he smiled sardonically.  _Yeah, I rather proved that one when I_ _ **took out**_ _my weapon, didn't I?_  That was never going to not hurt, but he shoved it back because he couldn't afford the distraction of it.

No:  _Kid_  couldn't afford it.

Seeing the death god about to get skewered, BlackStar launched himself at the shinigami, hitting Kid full force and rolling them across the floor, " _Idiot_." he hissed, "Focus on your fight! Don't get distracted!" Even as he said the words, he stood and hauled Kid to the side to avoid more limbs, now even deadlier with fewer targets to go after. To emphasize his point, he punched Kid none-too-gently in the shoulder, " _Move_ , damn you." they were the fastest students in the entire school, there was  _no_  reason Kid should be in danger of those things. Once he  _pulled his head out of his ass_ , at least.

The death god seemed to be in shock, "Liz and Patty..."

BlackStar glared at him, " _Deal with it_. It hurts -more than anything, yeah- now push it aside and fight! They aren't dead, but if you don't pull yourself together, they will be." even now he could hear the sisters' shaky breathing when he focused on it.

"I don't have-" a weapon.

"You're the  _next god of Death_. Work with what you've got!" Kid's eyes sharpened, staring at him, and he froze for just a moment, "What?"

"You're right. Give me two kunai."

BlackStar grinned and spun the knives into hands, pushing them into Kid's, "Let's go."

In a flicker of movement, they both disappeared, BlackStar slowed himself in front of the monster, sticking his tongue out at the creature, all senses on the lethal spikes coming at him, then springing into a backflip in time to see them bury themselves deeply into the floor, laughing tauntingly as he moved away.

Kid appeared from above behind the thing, both kunai at the ready as he descended, landing on the creature's back and stabbing. It roared in anger and swung around, but the death god was already gone again and BlackStar deliberately taunted it, "Hey, ugly! Over here~"

Every single one of the numerous appendages shot towards him and BlackStar tried to keep track of them all, moving at the last possible moment; rolling closer and ending in a handstand, clothes tearing in places and the spears brushed so close they touched skin, holding him in place with sheer numbers, and two more coming from above that had green eyes widening. He tried to move, but several intersecting spears held his right wrist in place and trapped him.

 _Lose the hand or lose my life._  He gritted teeth and twisted his body around so the spikes would hit his captive arm instead of his head or chest. But the expected impact never came, because suddenly Kid was there above him, a small skull-like aura shield in front of his extended arms, holding back the two spears. His arms trembled with the effort of holding the shield, concentrating enough to maintain it, and check on his BlackStar at the same time, "You good?"

The blue-haired teen didn't waste time and turned to assess his situation, "Been better. Good timing." He tugged and grimaced as he felt the warm trickle of blood slide over his fingers. BlackStar pulled his other arm back, pinging his Soul Wavelength off itself again and again, feeling it build, then struck out. The Kishin growled around them, but didn't move at all. Well. "I'm not getting out of this without losing a hand. Still have my kunai?"

"They don't work: the armored skin's too thick to get through."

"Do you. Have. The knives?"

"Back pockets."

BlackStar reached up and dug the blades out, sinking one into the floor -adding another gash he ignored- he planted his foot on it, then used the second to try and pry open the entrapping tentacles. Whatever the thing was, it was strong and sturdy, and it took all his power to gain the scant centimeter he did- tilting his head to the side at Kid's word and gaining only a gash on his cheek instead of a headshot from another. It wasn't much better.  _Fuck, this is going to hurt._

He took a deep breath and held it, pushing with all his might, then ripped his captured hand from its imprisonment, leaving a more-than-generous portion of skin behind. He checked his partner -Kid could hold out for another few seconds if he knew the other like he thought he did- and unwrapped his arm from the elbow, fixing the tattered wrappings to staunch the bleeding, tying tight with his teeth and free hand and ignoring the new flavor of pain this cursed party had brought, the new look only going from his fingers to a little beyond his wrist.

"Ready when you are."

"On three."

"Yeah."

"One." They both disappeared in a blur, ending up back-to-back yards away from the tangle of limbs. Kid finally turned all his attention to BlackStar, "How bad is it?"

"...I have a spare."

That was BlackStar for 'I can't even twitch the damn fingers of that hand', and Kid picked up on it, cursing violently, "We're-"

" _Not_  giving in to a pathetic little pity party. We're picking ourselves up from the ashes and we're fighting back."

"That's your dominant hand.  _How_  do you plan to fight back?"

BlackStar threw the fretting death god a cocky grin, "I don't plan, I act." they spoke calmly as they dodged spikes, "Do you remember when we got trapped in that cave when we were little?"

Kid went still and quiet, "...You want to try that again?"

"So long as you don't mind my cooties." he taunted, twitching his already-blood-soaked bandaged hand, slowly dripping crimson on the floor.

Kid nodded shortly, and they once again disappeared in a blur of motion, ending behind the Kishin and -with a silent look of apology- Kid grabbed Star's injured right hand. Chills of anxious energy due to knowing they only had seconds before discovery and subsequent skewering, they closed their eyes and  _Resonated._

* * *

_The young blue-haired boy sat back against the stone wall in the darkness, breath coming slower and feeling weak; sleepy. They were running out of air, no amount of pushing and shoving had moved that boulder from the entrance of the cave. They were going to die here. He let his head fall, looking in the general direction of the other boy, only the faint outline of even blacker darkness showing he was there._

_"Kid?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"...I'm sorry."_

_"...Me, too."_

_"Kid?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"I don't want to die."_

_"Me, either."_

_"Kid?"_

_"..."_

_"Kid?!"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"Don't go to sleep, okay? Don't- don't leave me."_

_"I... I won't." He felt the other's hand, colder, reach out to hold his._

_They were in this together. It was both their faults they'd gotten into this mess, and they were both sorry._

_"Star?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"I'm glad you're here. I'm glad it's you. You're my best friend."_

_"Dude, I'm your only friend."_

_A snort, "True."_

_"...I'm glad it's you, too. You're my first friend."_

_"Does it sound unduly selfish of me to be just a little smug I'll be your last one?"_

_"Just a bit."_

_They were quiet after that, both just listening to each other's breathing, matching it to their own, feeling their heartbeats echo together in perfect time. In the darkness of their prison, the silence, alone together, a glow appeared._

_Kid and BlackStar gasped at the feeling of_ _**connection** _ _, looking at each other's surprised face in the blue-gold aqua coming from their entwined hands. Felt the surprise echo someplace inside and ping back with a matching emotion._ _**Surprise. Content. Togetherness. Speculation** _ _._

_"BlackStar. D-do you think...?" the thought siphoned down their link and came back._

_The blue haired boy stood up, bringing Kid with him, as they looked at the boulder that trapped them. His Soul Menace wasn't strong enough to get them out, neither had Kid's immature shinigami powers. But maybe,_ _**together** _ _._

_They felt it, a repeating loop: down, out,_ _**ping** _ _, up, back,_ _**more.** _ _And again, each time bringing with it a closer, clearer bond, more hands reached out to touch the stone, two sets of eyes closed, two arms pulled back. Then both children snapped open their eyes and struck out, sending their combined Soul Wavelengths through into the obstacle: "_ _**Soul Resonance: Breaking Echo!"** _

_Their voices bounced off the walls of the cave as the stone around them rumbled and growled, as the visible light from their attack fractured the rock in front of them._

_Sunlight and fresh air poured in when the last of the boulder crumbled away and they took reverent, halting steps out of their dark prison- hands still connected._

* * *

Down, out,  _ping_ , up, back,  _more_. And again. BlackStar's breath hitched as, for the first time since Tsubaki's death, he felt  _whole_. Complete, he was no longer alone. And that, too, went through the bond. Kid felt all the pain, the grief; then he absorbed it, tightened his metaphysical hold on him, and sent back understanding and consolation,  _care_. Kid's worry and constant concern filtered down their connection, coming back with reassurance and confidence; they could do this, they  _would_ ; nothing could stop them.

The thought was one and both of them at the same time: _Resound._

And then something went wrong. Or, possibly, so very  _right_. BlackStar caught it first, the strange echo-echo at the edge of his soul. He gasped as his body heated, a searing spreading across his arms and legs, tightening in his chest.

One moment, BlackStar was standing there, the next, Kid looked down in confusion at the pitch black katana in his hand.

* * *

202020

"BlackStar?"

_"Well, not the intended result, but if it works. Use what you have!"_

Kid's hand tightened around his hilt, swamped with concern-reassurance about Kid's OCD acting up at a bad time. The death god shook it off, because this was BlackStar, and everyone's lives were depending on them; he couldn't let them all down! He took a deep breath and wrapped both hands around the katana, the Kishin turning around and spotting them.

_"Ready?"_

He took faith from Star's confidence, using it to bolster his own, and managed a smirk.  _Naturally._

The Kishin swung a tentacle towards them and Kid grounded his stance, deflecting it upwards with the back of his Partner's blade, then turned the sword over; cleanly detaching the black mass and leaving it to wriggle on the ground, bleeding dark ink.

Star whooped in joy.  _"Oh, hell yeah! How's THAT for 'not sharp enough', you bastard?!"_ The screech of pain and anger the Kishin gave hurt their ears, and BlackStar felt a minor prickle at the outside edge of their bond, eyes widening. Then he grinned viciously,  _"Tell me you feel that."_

 _I do._ The Kishin had been siphoning its pain through BlackStar so that it couldn't feel it. Kid's vindictive joy mirrored his Weapon's.  _What say we return that favor?_

BlackStar focused on his still-agonizing wrist even in his sword form, reaching out to touch the part of Kid that was still aching with phantom pain from Liz, then shunted them away from their bond and towards the connection that the Kishin had forced on him, hearing the  _very satisfying_  screech of pain the black monster let out.  _Joy. Pain. Vengeance._   _"My turn!"_

When he came out of his mental working, it was to see Kid twisting to avoid several spikes that dug into the ground with the force of their strikes, going limp as his partner- his  _Meister_  sheared through them. With a flash of speed, Kid ducked under more incoming spears, running headlong towards the Kishin's main body and launching into the air and swinging BlackStar down in a graceful arc.

_"Careful!"_

Kid pulled his legs up and twisted, meeting the new swinging tentacle with the blade, cutting through it, but the momentum sending them through a window and back into the house. Kid stemmed BlackStar's worry before it could manifest, he wasn't hurt more than a few scratches from the breaking glass.

Star sighed, then turned the concern into annoyance,  _"Be a little more careful next time."_

_Yes, because you're all about caution and strategy yourself._

_"...MY tactics aren't under review here, I'm not the one with a weapon."_

_Aww, Star, thank you for your loving worry._

_"...If you die, I am SO killing your ass."_

_Noted._  Kid spotted the incoming spear and held his blade up, slicing it cleanly up the middle, the endpoints ending to the left and right somewhere behind him, then twisted so the katana cut off the two halves and backflipping out of the way as three more struck the spot he'd been standing.

BlackStar's admiration filtered down to him.  _"...That was cool."_ And at just that moment, their scheme went into effect and loud, flowery children's shows' music started blasting from the speakers. BlackStar sweatdropped,  _"So much for that... Man, least epic battle music ever."_

_How much risk do you think is involved in getting over there to turn that off?_

_"On the right!"_

The death god braced himself on his hand still on the floor as another set came at them, awkwardly slicing off fillet-ala-demon squid from the tentacles instead of the lopping off he preferred, then staggering up, his stance slightly off. He spotted the movement to his left just before Star pointed it out and ducked under the swinging limb, relieving the Kishin of it.  _Is it me, or is it re-growing these things as fast I cut them off?_

_"Well maybe you should stop playing with it and get serious."_

Kid sent back a mental eye-roll and charged, flickering in and out of sight in front of the Kishin to avoid its many arms, kicking off the wall beside it and landing a thrust to its main body. He launched himself back as the Kishin's body started to liquefy and pull the katana in deeper. The shinigami eyed their opponent warily.  _What the hell IS this thing?_

_"It's called a 'be quiet and slice me'! Now will you quit tickling it?"_

_Will you shut up and let me drive?!_

_"Your form really needs some work."_

_Excuse me?_

_"Don't get snotty, Kid. How many times have you held a sword in your entire life?"_

_...Two._

_"Right. Slide your left foot back and hold steady, then strike up. This isn't shooting, it's kenjutsu."_ BlackStar thought carefully of the exact form Kid needed to take. Kid acquiesced to BlackStar and his foot slid back into place, the strike of his arm happening an instant before he would have done it on his own, taking off an entire tangle of limbs coming at them, and leaving a clear path back to the creature's body.  _"There's your chance!"_

_Oh, yes. Tell me, should I uselessly stab it again, or shall I continue hacking at these endless weeds-for-arms?_

_"Dammit, Kid; MOVE!"_ The death god moved.  _"Think we can still Resonate with me like this?"_

_Of course, the question is what will the result be?_

_"Can't be worse than nothing. My Soul Menace hurt it earlier. Not much, but it was something."_

_It'll be enough. It has to be._

They took a single breath, eyes closed for only a heartbeat.  _ **Resound**_ **.**

Kid's yellow\gold eyes took in the spears currently buried into the flooring, then took off, using them as jumping points to avoid the still-active ones as they closed in. On the left BlackStar spotted an incoming limb and Kid's hand moved to cut it off without ever turning his head, continuing towards their goal. Only feet away, BlackStar felt Kid trying to strengthen their bond and added to it, synchronizing their breathing and sending power back down the line, feeling it loop back to him through his partner and bind them closer.

His body -blade?- heated,  _vibrated_ , as Kid's Soul Wavelength aligned with his own, their hearts beating together with a sound that lost itself in its own echo. He felt his form go liquid in aqua-gold light, changing, shifting with the needs of their soul.

Kid's legs tensed, lifting them into the air for a headstrike, his hands on the hilt of his partner with knowledge and experience that wasn't his own.

" _ **Soul Resonance:"**_

BlackStar's form stabilized with the crescendo of their souls: a large black Cleaver Falchion, the blade extending down slightly past the hilt as a finger guard; swirling golden designs in the shape of symmetrical skulls on both sides of the blade.

_**"Star Reaver!"** _

The golden\black blade cut through the Kishin's protective hide with no resistance, parting under the overpowering soul harmony between Kid and BlackStar, pitch black, ink-like blood staining them both as the fierce roar-screech of the Kishin-creature faded out to nothing, the body around dissolving into dark ribbons before evaporating. Left floating in the air before them was a scaled, shadowy,  _black_  Kishin soul.

Kid stood upright on shaking legs, panting as he and BlackStar carefully pulled themselves apart, trying to differentiate between  _me_  and  _us_. After a long moment, the Cleaver Falchion in his hand returned to a katana, and, after another moment, transformed in a shower of gold sparks back into a blue-haired teen. Unnoticed, black-green, vine-like markings on the death god's skin faded away.

BlackStar glanced only momentarily at the soul in the air before completely ignoring it, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. You?"

"Still can't use my hand. C'mon, let's see what we can find for help: there's no way we can get everyone taken care of on our own in our conditions. A-also... you now have ears, too."

Kid's multi-toned eyes took on a confused light, "Ears? Too?" BlackStar's own ears twitched, drawing Kid's attention to them, and his eyes widened, "Er, you seem to have grown something else as well."

Blinking BlackStar looked over his shoulder and found a powder-blue tail swaying in the air behind him, "Well. Damn."

Kid smirked, "My thoughts exac...tly..."

He caught the shinigami before he hit the floor, "KID!"

202020


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special mention this week goes out to Strengthx3 (*waves hand excitedly* Hi, Strength-chan!) who's out of the country for the next two chapters, but who got her friend obsessed with the glory of our favorite pairing here! Welcome, Minna-chan, to the good ship KidStar! We're all glad to have you aboard! As everyone knows -just ask BlackStar- there's no such thing as too many fan(girl)s~
> 
> Kay, questions this week: what do you think of the development at the end of the chapter and what might it mean going forward? And what's your vote on whether or not Patty gets her much-wanted kitty ears?
> 
> As always: let me know your thoughts, beloved readers, and please enjoy!

 

212121

Sitting next to the bed as he had all night and all dim, cloudy morning, legs drawn up and forehead rested against them, sky blue ears twitched. The sound of the tumblers rattling and the door creaking open put BlackStar on instant alert and his head shot up, green eyes blinking wearily at the lack of  _threat_  he'd felt all the other times. It took a bit, but eventually the fog cleared from his vision enough to see the bandaged Meister in a wheel chair eye-level with him.

"Ma-" he was interrupted by a massive yawn that made his ears flop limply in his hair and his eyes water before he could continue, "Maka? How are you?"

She smiled at him, pulling at a bandage taped to her cheek with a matching one on her temple, "Morning, BlackStar. I'm fine. Well..." she glared over her shoulder at Soul -her chauffeur- at the snort, "Some torn ligaments; I'm not supposed to stand or walk more than about five minutes at a time for the next week or so. Soul got it worse than me: he's still having dizzy spells. So this works pretty well since he can lean against my chair when he has a spell and I don't have to walk."

"It's only so she doesn't end up running anyone down: the woman can't drive to save her life." Maka's smile turned scary and she backed the wheelchair up over Soul's foot, making the white-haired teen yelp, "Maka! What the hell?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry; was that your foot? You know how helpless I am when it comes to driving this thing..."

"Okay, okay! I'm  _sorry!_  Now  _get it off_!"

The ash-blonde smirked before rolling forward again, leaving Soul to hop on his one remaining foot. BlackStar blinked between them, entertained and holding in his snickering. He didn't want to get hit by whichever one thought he was laughing at them; either for Maka's driving skills or Soul's pain. His face gave nothing away, but he was pretty sure his tail's swaying behind him was a dead giveaway.

"Have you- duh, of course you've been examined already, obviously. But have you gotten your...  _other_  check-up yet?"

"Yeah, we just came from there. I didn't really get a chance to ask how they're categorizing it, but I got the basics and our personal aspects. I've got enhanced perception, roughened tongue, and  _these_." Maka held out her hand, flexing her fingers and looking rather proud of the claws that emerged if her smile was anything to judge by.

Soul scoffed, "It also means she's even more of a neat freak than before."

" _Soul..._ "

The crimson-eyed teen put his hands up defensively and took a step back, "Sorry. I'm kidding, Maka: just kidding." as soon as she turned away from him, Soul made slicing motions across his throat and mouthed 'Not kidding. Help me!'

BlackStar couldn't hold it in anymore and started snickering, "What about Soul?"

"From what they could tell- since I wasn't allowed in the room." Soul's entire face flushed scarlet and he looked away. "His pupils have changed, which means better night vision-"

"It's a little harder to see the color red, though. They said they're already working on something for that."

"And he's got a better sense of smell. And, of course; the whiskers."

Soul grimaced, said whiskers moving with the motion, "Annoying things. I can  _feel_  everyone moving around me, and the rain we've been threatened with all day that refuses to fall? It really sucks. I swear I can feel the static gathering on the damn things."

"What about you?"

BlackStar shrugged, "I haven't been out of the room since we came in. All I know is what we discovered last night: ears, tails, and Kid's got the tongue-grooming thing. I haven't had much chance to really relax and inspect myself." he paused, "I think I have fangs. Do I have fangs?" he opened his mouth as far as he could.

Maka leaned forward, "Yep! Larger, sharpened canines."

BlackStar closed his mouth and snorted, "Great: if all else fails and I completely botch all my training as a ninja, I can still bite my enemy to teach them a lesson."

Soul cocked his head, "Are you alright, Star? You seem..."

The blue haired boy slumped against his knees, "Just... really tired. I've been up all night long."

"So find a bed and sleep."

"I  _can't_!"

Maka and Soul flinched back, "Why not?"

"Because idiots and doctors and idiot doctors won't leave us the  _fuck_  alone!" he snarled, emerald gaze glaring at a point just over Maka's shoulder, "They keep coming in every time I let my guard down and trying to separate us, and Kid's condition takes a nose-dive. I have to be here, I have to  _touch_  him, or something really bad is going to happen. I'm  _not_  going to let them take him from me; he's  _mine_!"

The Weapon-Meister pair shared a look before turning back to him, Soul speaking, "So you've just been sitting in here all night long in that uncomfortable chair and holding Kid's hand?"

BlackStar nodded tiredly, "Uh-huh. I managed to stay out of the way at first and bandaged myself up while they worked on him-" mainly because he'd wanted his arm taken care of before they could notice it, because they were trained medical professionals and he didn't want anyone to see his half-healed cut; so he'd bandaged himself up before anybody else could, "-then they started fussing about him getting worse and nothing they could do, so I sat in for the long haul. But as soon as I took his hand he stabilized. Then they turned on  _me_ , and wanted to drag me away for tests and things and a whole bunch of other stuff, so I had to transform so they couldn't touch me without getting burned, and..." he sighed, "And a whole bunch of other fuss. And every hour or so someone else tries to come in and drag me away. I have to stay awake and keep on my guard." and that meant no sleeping. No matter how exhausted he was.

Maka frowned, "So, wait, have you been treated?"

"I'm an assassin: I know how to patch myself up." And Kid could have that hand since having it in the same raised position for so long meant it was numb now anyway. It'd probably be throbbing in pain if he could still feel it, so he was more than happy to let it be.

The duo shared another look before Maka leaned forward, "We'll keep a look out for you."

BlackStar's ears perked up in interest even if it took the rest of him a little while to catch up, "Huh?"

"Soul and I are good and awake: we'll make sure you and Kid are left alone so you can get some sleep."

"I have to be up for when Kid wakes up."

Soul shrugged, "So we'll wake you as soon as it looks like he's coming-to. Seriously, you look like you're about to fall over."

"O-" yawn, "Okay. Don't let any of  _them_  in the room. Kid's doing fine, and he's getting better without them poking over him." BlackStar put his forehead back to his knees and closed his eyes, determined to stay alert just in case. He was asleep within moments.

* * *

 

Liz's brow twitched as they wandered down the hall, "Patty..."

"Yeah, sis?"

"You are my baby sister and I love you more than anything, but if you don't stop  _poking my injured shoulder_ , I'm going to lock myself in your room and personally de-stuff every single one of your giraffe plushies when we get home!"

Patty 'eeped' and pulled back her prodding finger, going back to hugging her cat - _While she could_  a voice sounded at the back of the elder's mind- "Sorry! But, you've got such pretty colors around you... And they change every time I poke you!"

Liz sighed and patted her sister's back, "That's the concussion talking. It may look pretty, but it hurts, so please stop."

Patty pouted, hugging Pushi to her chin, "Sorry... Hey, Liz?"

"Yes?"

"If it hurts... are we allowed to be wandering the halls?" innocent blue eyes blinked, "Didn't that doctor-person say we shouldn't move yet?"

Liz held off answering for a minute as she opened the next door and looked in- not finding Kid or BlackStar and closing it again. She thought about the best way to answer that question, "As the doctor, he said that because he thought it would be best for us."  _It's my shoulder that's ruined, not my legs, dammit!_  "And as his patient, I've put finding our Meister and new partner above that in importance. Though I really  _would_  have preferred you staying since a head injury is a lot more serious than a flesh wound..."

"Nope! I can't stay anywhere without my Liz! And you're so pretty now."

Liz  _really_  didn't want to think about the -bad- implications of that, or how bad of a sister she was being by dragging them both around; but dammit, who knew what the hell the doctors were doing with Kid and BlackStar? She had serious trust issues since the whole-  _Nope: not thinking about that right now. Focus, Liz._  "Are you saying I'm not always pretty?"

Patty looked scandalized, "No! You're always pretty! But not  _sparkly_. I like the sparklies!"

Liz paused with her hand on another doorknob, "...I'm sparkling now?"  _That can't be good._

The younger blonde nodded enthusiastically, "It's all poofy and shiny\sparkly, with gold and some green, and every time I poke you it turns red."

 _Definitely not good._  "Well that sounds..."  _Worrying._  "Pretty. Let's keep looking." Liz wondered if she dared use what limited Soul Perception she had to try and find their Meister. The doctor had very strictly told them -well,  _her_ , since Patty had been off in Prescription Land- that they were under  _no circumstances_  to use their soul abilities or to transform. But then, they'd been ordered pretty specifically not to leave the room -okay, not to leave their  _beds_ , really, but bathroom allowances had to have been made- and if they were already disregarding one set of orders... What were the odds of Patty being able to catch her if she collapsed from backlash and carry her back to their room?

On a good day, probably about fifty-fifty. But with a concussion and seeing in Glitter Technicolor? Liz thought she'd better not take her chances. That was if Patty didn't get distracted by whatever colors she suddenly started exuding if she fainted and decided to just go back to poking her.

"Let me know if you get dizzy or anything with the sparkles changes. Or if your vision gets dim or something." Even with a bad arm -shoulder, side of her entire upper body- and hopped up on pain meds, she could probably manage to carry Patty back to the room. And she would of course take no pleasure in rolling Pushi down the hall like an errant soccer ball if it came to that.

Liz paused after checking yet another incorrect room and wondered if she should be worried about the distracted hum she got from her sister in response. It was a large hall, but it didn't go on  _forever_ , and she knew all the students had been brought here for treatment. If they just kept going, eventually one of these rooms would contain the people they were looking for, and they could finally  _rest_.

And yet another wrong room. "Dammit." the assurance of future success did not, in fact, make failure easier to tolerate. Actually, it only really made it even more frustrating because if it was going to happen eventually why couldn't it just  _fucking happen now_?! And yes, she most certainly needed more pain-killers because her current ones were wearing off a lot sooner than their hack had said they would. And she was  _totally_  not at fault for that in spite of moving around and generally going directly opposite the trained professional's orders.  _Denial is a lovely thing._

"Oh my, what do we have here?"

 _Oh, hell._  Liz froze with her hand on another knob, feeling herself flush as they were spotted by a teacher emerging from a room further down. "Caught. Curses." Even worse: it was  _Stein_ , and he would  _know_  what was wrong with them and what they weren't supposed to be doing. And then a purple-haired woman in a -rather annoyingly skimpy- nurse's outfit stepped out behind him as he turned their way.

Liz's brain tried to kick into gear.  _Purple... Purple..._  Where had she heard of that hair color before? It was an extremely unusual hue. Wait, wasn't there someone named Blair with purple hair? She was pretty sure she'd heard Maka complaining about a 'purple-haired menace' named Blair.

Then the taller teen blinked in surprise and self doubt-  _She HAD been in a nurse's outfit, hadn't she?_  when the purple-haired woman spotted them and her expression turned murderous, and the next thing Liz knew Blair was stalking down the hall towards them in an equally skimpy Witch's dress. A sharp thump against the closest wall helped clear out the fog in her mind. Right! Blair was Maka's and Soul's magical cat!

Stein was following at a sedate pace as the magical female stormed down the hallway towards the Thompsons, "Just  _what_  the  _hell_  were you thinking?!"

Patty blinked in confusion right up until Pushi was ripped from her arms and held in the air by his scruff, "Pushi!"

Liz had a slightly better understanding of what was going on- for whatever little that was worth, and held Patty back as Blair went to town on the other cat, "Do you have even the tiniest idea of the massive quantities of irreparable harm you've caused?!" the cat-ball meowed in pain, tiny limbs cycling in the air in a futile attempt to get away from the woman holding him so painfully. Blair showed absolutely no sympathy, shaking him sternly and continuing to glare in the face of pitiful kitty-tears streaming down the tabby's face, "Don't you  _dare_  complain to me about hurting!  _Look_  what your foolish actions have caused your own owners!"

She held the round feline in front of Liz and Patty's dazed faces before hauling him back.

"People could have died because of you! As if intoxication weren't enough; I have a poor girl who's little more than a pink kitten in semi-human form! I cannot  _believe_  the amount of stupidity you've showed with this stunt. Do you not  _know_  what I'm dealing with here? There are no words for this kind of foolishness. I can't think of an insult harsh enough to call you by!"

Patty couldn't take it anymore, "Leave Pushi alone! He didn't do anything! Quit being all orange! Stop it!"

Blair looked over at the younger blonde in surprise, "Orange?"

"You're all orange and glowy, but it's a flashing glow, not the sparkly kind like Liz."

"Magic sight...?" the purple head shook, "I know he's yours, but he  _did_  do something; something very bad."

Liz felt like she was finally catching on to something, "You mean the whole catifying thing?"

Blair winced, "That is precisely what I mean..."

"Won't that just... go away on its own?"

Golden eyes closed with a sigh, "No. No, it won't. Your cat, with no knowledge of magic, has cast a spell which he has no clue how to reverse."

"Can't you reverse it? Aren't you a -what did Maka call it?- 'a cat with a ridiculous amount of magical power'?"

"I am. But I can't do anything. As a magical creature, I would need to know what spell he used to make the change, but even  _he_  doesn't know, because he was never supposed to use magic in the first place!"

"Then..." Liz turned to the teacher, "Can they get the cat parts... 'removed'?"

Professor Stein adjusted his glasses, "Several have already made that decision; yes. But there are issues with that as well. Whatever your Pushi did altered the affected students on the cellular level. Do you understand? They're no longer entirely human. I can remove the parts, the same way I could remove a growth, but the feline DNA will still remain. Their children may have cat parts; shall we just clip each new generation as they happen? And that might work, if only for tails and claws and whiskers, but what about for the more-than-cosmetic parts, such as the ears? I cannot remove the ear-canals, merely the cartilage that siphons the sound. And tongues?"

It was all beginning to make sense- too much sense for Liz, and she really wished the sobering effect of her pain and motion would stop if not reverse, because she really didn't want to think of all those consequences, "Are you saying everyone will be stuck like that forever?!"

Blair's golden eyes narrowed, "They'll be stuck like that for a very long time. I've got my pride as a cat and a magic-worker here: I'm  _not_  giving up until I find a way to break this hex. After that, however... Well, humans tend to get rather attached to things after several months. I wonder how many will even want to be changed back once I figure it out." she turned her amber gaze back on the cowering feline in her hold, "And as for  _you_! There's a lot I'm willing to suffer for fun, and more for revenge, but this is  _beyond_  all tolerance; and I will  _not_  allow it to go unpunished. Pum pum pumpkin...!"

Patty broke free of her sister's hold and rushed for her pet at the same time Blair released him and stepped back, and a large cloud of smoke engulfed the hall. Liz coughed and waved away more of the smog as she tried to see and get her bearings back. Her eyes widened impossibly at the sight before her. There was Patty in the middle of the hall, hugging... a very confused-looking tabby-haired boy. "P-Pushi?!"

The tanned teen, on his knees - _naked!_ \- blinked brown orbs, striped ears twitching from a nest of short messy brown hair, slowly turned his head towards her, "Purrr?"

212121


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words cannot express my sorrow or apologies about how terribly long it's been since the last update. Some of my readers following me instead of just the stories can see that life sort of caught up with me, and then I got tangled in the allure of a new fandom for a while and my poor Plunny Phred just collapsed afterward. But I'm not giving up -ever- on these stories, and here's proof of that. A merry Christmas\please-don't-kill-me present to all my readers.
> 
> A very bright thing to note, at least, is that I know exactly where I want the next chapter to go, so if the post-holiday stress doesn't get in the way, that will be up on New Year's. Thank you all so much for your support and understanding, it really means the world to me. *bows*

222222

This wasn't happening. It just wasn't. There was no way Liz was standing -well, leaning precariously...- in a hallway with her sister's pet cat now in human form, and completely naked. Just- no. This had to be a dream. Any minute now, she was going to wake up back in her infirmary berth with the doctor leaning over her and explaining that she had a concussion, the side-effects of which would include hallucinations and strange dreams.

Any moment now, really.  _Aaaany_  minute.

Patty squealed in absolute glee, "PUSHI!"

 _Fuck_.

She glomped the -still completely naked- boy to the ground, rubbing cheeks with him. Liz' eyebrow twitched in irritation.  _I don't care if he_ _ **is**_ _her pet!_  "Patty, let go of the naked boy."

The smaller blonde looked up at her with puppy eyes, "But, Sis! It's my Pushi!"

"Patty..." She caught sight of the thing behind her sister, and felt herself twitch again, "On second thought: Blair...!"

The purple haired feline-woman took a step back and held up her hand defensively, "I can fix it! It was just a reciprocation spell, meant to inflict on him what he did to others. I can reverse it!"

Neither of them were talking about the cat-boy on the floor, but the swaying of Patty's new appendage behind her. Looking back and forth between them, realization -and utter joy- lit up the younger Thompson's face, her hands coming up to clap over her new ears, "No! They're mine! You can't have them!"

Liz sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose, watching the naked boy Patty was straddling look between them all curiously while Patty played with her tail.

_Aaaany minute now._

Why did  _she_  have to deal with things like this? Liz spared only a moment's resentment for her Meister and new partner for their difficulty to find, without which she wouldn't even be in this situation. Those two always had it easier...

* * *

_"I hate you so much."_

_"The feeling is entirely mutual, I assure you."_

_The green-eyed boy cocked his head to the side, "...What?"_

_The other sighed, "I hate you, too."_

_"You even_ _**talk** _ _like a know-it-all snob."_

_"Better than a low-class delinquent."_

_"I am not a dil-del... that! ...Whatever that is."_

_"It means rule-breaker."_

_"Rules are for pussies."_

_"Where did you even_ _**learn** _ _that word?!"_

 _"You learn a lot of street-talk spending all day with Sid. You know what it means: where did_ _**you** _ _learn it?"_

_"I'm not even having this discussion with you."_

_"There you go using big words again."_

_"It means I'm not talking to you!"_

_"Oh, so who_ _**are** _ _you chatting with out here in_ _**the middle of nowhere** _ _, then?"_

_"I hate you so much!"_

_He scoffed and mocked, "The feeling is entirely mutual, I assure you."_

_"This is all your fault, anyway."_

_"Me?!_ _**My** _ _fault?!"_

_"Yes! Yours! You and your heathenish ways."_

_"..."_

_"It means you're too quick to get in fights."_

_" 'Course I'm gonna kick your ass if go insulting me! What the fuck were you even_ _**doing**_ _? It was my room!"_

 _"It was filthy and terribly asymmetrical! How can you_   _ **live** _ _like that?!"_

_"Like... what was that word?"_

_"Ugh! It means when something isn't the same as something else. When the left side doesn't match the right side._ _**Everything** _ _should be symmetrical!"_

_"...You aren't. You've only got half a stripe on your head."_

_"I HATE YOU SO MUCH!"_

* * *

_Every little boy wanted a brother- to play with, to tussle with, to have their back. It was what he-_ _**they** _ _were told constantly. BlackStar quickly learned adults didn't know what the fuck they were talking about. He didn't want to share his teacher and dad with someone else, certainly not this..._ _**brat** _ _, that he was now stuck with. BlackStar had never wanted a brother, and quite obviously neither had Death the Kid._

_What the hell kind of stupid-ass name was that, anyway? Just send him back to Sid's, he was perfectly happy having a long-distance relationship with his father and spending parts of holidays together. He liked the house just fine, he didn't want to move to some stupid mansion that was big enough to get lost for days in. It probably wouldn't have been too bad- more places for Sid to train him in stealth and what-not, except his teacher was needed for a long-term mission and BlackStar couldn't be left on his own._

_Juuuust great. Now he was stuck here with this stuck-up snob that acted like a total freak if everything wasn't perfect -and nothing ever was, to_ _**him** _ _\- and who he could only understand one word in three when speaking to. BlackStar was half-convinced that Kid made up at least half the words he spewed every time he opened his mouth. What was even worse is that it made him feel stupid just talking to the other boy, and BlackStar_ _**hated** _ _feeling stupid._

 _He was_ _**no** _ _idiot! Just because he wasn't book-smart didn't mean he was a fucking moron like the whole goddamned world seemed to think! Sid had been teaching him to survive, not play chess. He could kick ass, he didn't need to know how to 'debate'! He hated snooty, stuck-up people. Pops was fine, but this other boy..._

_He had been picked up and dropped in hell._

* * *

_It was difficult, but Kid restrained himself from sn_ _orting in disbelief out of respect for his father._ _**He** _ _didn't want a brother, and that wasn't going to change no matter how many adults told him how lucky he was to have one. That blue-haired heathen was no brother of his!_

_The shorter boy was some uneducated savage. He couldn't hold a three-minute conversation without his eyes fogging over and staring off at a far wall blankly. He got confused over the simplest of queries and explanations. He was far too quick to give in to violence, and his mouth was foul like some ghetto-raised urchin._

_'BlackStar'- what a ridiculous name- left a mess in any room he was in, he had no concept of what symmetry even_ _**was** _ _, let alone its importance._

_His life had been perfect: calm, orderly- just himself and his father and his tutors. Father had of course always been very busy, but Kid understood and had always found ways to take care of himself. He was especially pleased that he got to clean and arrange the mansion: everything corresponded perfectly to everything else. It was perfect._

_And then_ _**he** _ _came. Dropped off on the doorstep like an abandoned puppy, and threw Kid's entire life into chaos, rearranging the house, causing destruction everywhere he went, giving Kid's -_ _**their** _ _\- tutors fits and causing half of them to quit outright._

_He had gone to sleep with a perfect life and woken up in hell._

* * *

_If it wasn't bad enough that the stupid snob spoke like he was sixty years old, he wasn't the complete push-over in sparring that BlackStar had thought he'd be. That was even worse. So help him if Kid stuck his nose in the air superiorly_ _**one more time** _ _, he was going to take great joy in_ _**breaking it.** _

_But watching the other boy completely lose his cool when something in the room was off-center was_ _**great** _ _._ _**Then** _ _he didn't have time to be stuck-up and snobbish._ _**Then** _ _he was too busy completely freaking the fuck out. That was fun._

 _He didn't even have to_ _**try** _ _, he and Sid hadn't particularly cared for being too perfect about putting things back where they'd gotten them. If it was important enough, it'd be put someplace it could be found. If it was important enough, they'd find it. And if they didn't... it wasn't that important after all. Kid got hives over the very thought. That was_ _**also** _ _lots of fun._

* * *

_Kid twitched as the blue menace once again swept destruction through his perfectly symmetrical dining room. He got his revenge later in sparring practice when he hit particularly hard and watched smugly as BlackStar limped out of the room. BlackStar took great pleasure in completely wrecking Kid's life, so the shinigami took equal pleasure in showing BlackStar up in the one area he was so proud of._

_Not that the heathen's street-tussling was anything compared to his Reaper Style martial arts. At least, so long as the blue haired boy didn't break through his guard. Kid rubbed his jaw in memory of the bruise he'd gotten for underestimating the other boy before._

_He was never going to get along with that ruthless ruffian. He could be just as pig-headed as BlackStar if he wanted to wage a war. Maybe if he defeated the other boy bad enough, he'd actually shut up for once and stop jabbering all the time, too. He could finally spend some time in blissful_ _**silence** _ _, once again putting the mansion in perfect order. That'd be fun._

* * *

_They glared at one another before huffing and going through the doors together, faces lighting up at the figure waiting for them._

_"Father!"_

_"Pops!"_

_Death turned to greet them, a gloved hand raised and the feeling of a smile on his mask, "Hello, boys."_

_"Why did you call us, Father?"_

_"I just wanted to spend some time with my boys."_

_BlackStar flopped on one of the large cushions on the floor, Kid sitting delicately -like a girl- on the other and making him roll green eyes, "Tell a story, Old Man. It's been too long since you last did. Spill!"_

_Kid looked torn between reluctant agreement at the story-telling, and horror at how BlackStar had demanded it. Death just chuckled and came closer to the floor in the not-actually-sitting thing he did, his cloak billowing out before him and flattening out into a black plane. Kid inched forward while BlackStar sprawled on his stomach to watch. "What do you want to hear about?"_

_There was no hesitation: "The Before."_

_Death laughed again, having figured it would be so- neither of the boys ever asked for anything later. His cloak responded to his words as he spoke, changing shape: "When the earth was young, and the air was clean, and the mountains kissed the sky..."_

_Kid leaned forward over his crossed legs, golden eyes sparkling as his father's reaper powers brought the story to life. BlackStar pushed up on his arms to lean over precariously- almost falling on his face to see all that he could as black forests sprang forth and animals came to life from the dark surface, deer prancing across represented grasslands._

_This particular story -history- had been told so many times that Kid and BlackStar probably could have told the whole thing back word for word. But Death never begrudged them the tale, telling it each time like it was the very first, and their eyes lit up with the same excitement that had been there the first time. The history of when the Great Spirits walked the Earth beside Man, when humans and Nature were one._

_Kid and BlackStar both stared at the breath-taking scene brought to life before them and turned to look at each other with matching happiness and excitement in their eyes before remembering they hated each other and turning back to the story. The innocent wonder that came from both boys was a new experience every time they heard and saw._

_BlackStar breathed out in awe, "I want to live like that..."_

_Kid scoffed beside him, "You can't live in harmony with your own_ _**room**_ _. Littering like yours is what ruined the world."_

 _BlackStar glared at the dark haired boy, "Nature is wild and free, not a perfect little box. Actually,_ _**nothing** _ _in the world outside your mind is the perfect little box you like to think it is. People like_ _**you** _ _trying to tame the wilderness are what ruined the world."_

 _Shinigami sighed and plucked up his children by the backs of their outfits before they could launch themselves at one another... again. "What ruined the world was_ _**war** _ _, because Man forgot the understanding and tolerance that the spirits taught them and so couldn't speak with them any longer. And the longer they couldn't speak, the more they forgot, and the more they fought."_

_The children glared at one another and turned away with dual huffs. "Wars can't just be stopped once they've begun." Kid stated philosophically._

_BlackStar rolled his eyes but agreed: "Some people just suck too much to get along with."_

_Shinigami sighed again, "Boys, you'll have to get along some day. You're brothers."_

_Both boys glared at each other, pointed at each other, and said at the exact same time: "He'll never be my brother!"_

_Their father shook his head and set them down on opposite sides of himself, continuing with the tale._

_He had things to do after spending the afternoon with his boys, so he left them to themselves once the story was through. They glared at each other as they left, and he wondered how to get them to get along, but not truly worried they'd harm one another._

_One hour, one huge fight, a destroyed room, and two very bruised and scraped boys later, he re-evaluated that conclusion. He didn't want to do what he knew he'd have to, but he couldn't see any other way to get the boys to stop their foolish rivalry and see how much they needed each other. One more day and a trip through a magic mirror after that, both children were in the middle of the wilderness with nothing to rely on except their wits and each other._

_BlackStar glared at Kid: "I hate you so much."_

_Kid glared right back: "The feeling is entirely mutual, I assure you."_

222222


	23. Chapter 23

232323

 _BlackStar could (reluctantly), if only in his own mind, admit his (_ _**very** _ _grudging) respect for Kid's fighting skills. The stupid rich kid was all about restraint and control, but had apparently missed out on the one lesson BlackStar had been learning since birth, and that was_ _**self-control** _ _. BlackStar had a temper, but he knew how to let off steam in smaller increments to keep himself from losing control._

 _Death the Kid had apparently never learned that. When Kid lost it, he_ _**lost it** _ _. Whether it was about his stupid obsession, or, as BlackStar learned, about anger._

_BlackStar ducked under the attack as the other child threw himself at the blue-haired boy. He spun around in surprise when, instead of falling and staying there or glaring at him for finally managing to be on even ground with him in a fight, Kid picked himself right back up and threw himself back in recklessly._

_BlackStar's respect, little and reluctant as it was for the other's skills, was still honest and hard-won. This wasn't anything like what Kid was capable of. As he merely slid his feet back and angled his body to avoid the blows coming at him, Kid just seemed to get angrier and angrier, and his hits became even less the things of awe and precision they always had been before._

_**I can't lose myself like that. I can't ever let that happen to me. The first time I do, I'm dead.** _ _And what was more, he never_ _**wanted** _ _to lose himself like that. It was one thing to see Kid on his knees, freaked out over something being out of place, but this wild thing attacking him was nothing at all like the boy he'd spent months annoying. There was no recognition in the golden gaze, just pure, unadulterated fury. Just a little bit, in the back of his mind, it scared BlackStar, to know that_ _**Kid** _ _could lose it so completely like that._

_Hoping to snap the other boy out of it, BlackStar effortlessly slid inside Kid's non-existent guard after a high blow and cocked his fist back, snapping it forward against the other's chin with enough force to send him skidding back across the ground and take out a bush on the other side of the clearing. It was quiet and BlackStar started forward, "Kid?"_

_He froze in caution when the other stood up, but the intense,_ _**burning** _ _gaze locked on his own answered him._ _**Fuck.** _

_That wasn't even fury anymore, just a burning hatred for everything BlackStar represented. The blue haired boy back flipped out of the way when his opponent disappeared in a flash of speed. By the time his previous position spun back into place he saw the ground dented from a shinigami-powered kick that could have_ _**killed him** _ _if he hadn't moved._

_"Kid! What the hell! Have you lost your mind?!"_

_The black-haired boy didn't answer, just spun into another attack. BlackStar braced himself and grabbed the leg coming to take his head off, wincing at the pain as he blocked with his left arm,_ _**knowing** _ _that was going to bruise later, then twisted and grabbed the offending limb with both hands and slammed Kid over his body and onto the hard ground opposite the side he'd attacked from._

 _He bounced back before the dust of the impact even cleared, shaking out his left arm and hand, "Whoo! That one hurt. Okay, what's next?!" Despite himself, BlackStar couldn't deny that he was getting excited about this. Yeah, Kid was a bastard. Yeah, he felt sorry enough for the other to try and pull him out of this madness of his. And yeah, this whole thing was actually_ _**life-threatening** _ _._

 _But_ _**damn** _ _, this was_ _**fun** _ _. BlackStar_ _**lived** _ _for battle, and Kid had been_ _**taunting** _ _him in sparring for months with his cool-minded collectedness... or whatever. To see the other boy so_ _**serious** _ _, so completely_ _**not** _ _in control, and to get the chance to really,_ _**really** _ _go all-out against him..._

_BlackStar couldn't hold back his grin as he bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, "That it? C'mon, pretty-boy, bring it on!"_

_Just the blur of a black form shot out from the clearing dust towards him and BlackStar couldn't -couldn't even be bothered to try to_ _-_ _hold back his exhilaration, letting out a whoop as another foot aimed for his skull. He didn't even bother trying to back away or move because, yeah,_ _**fuck** _ _dodging; he twisted around and with a high kick, closing his knee at the precipice, locking Kid's leg with his own, then completed the spin and put the pretty-boy on the ground_ _**hard** _ _._

_"This is_ _**great** _ _! C'mon, come at me! This the best you got?"_

_His next bounce was abbreviated as the sprawled form under him tangled their legs and sent him down, too. The world blurred and suddenly he was on his back with the sky above him, Kid glaring hate as he straddled him and pulled back for a finishing punch. But the shinigami still wasn't thinking clearly and even as the super-powered blow descended, BlackStar struck out with the palm of his hand against Kid's shoulder, sending the punch wide even as he moved his head to the opposite side. Good thing, too, because that blow completely dented the ground it collided with._

_BlackStar's massive grin was something less than wholly sane, "Awesome! Awesome! My turn!" There was the barest glimmer of recognition in the burning gaze before he shot out with his other hand, directly at Kid's nose._

_Only all the training the other possessed let him lean back enough in time to keep his nose from breaking. But BlackStar bucked as soon as his opponent was off-balance, sending Kid toppling back ass-over-forehead. Blazing green eyes narrowed as he arched off the ground, his weight held by his shoulder-blades, and kicked out with both his legs as Kid toppled with all of_ _**his** _ _weight incorrectly managed on his upper shoulders and neck, sending him rolling like a bowling ball to hit painfully against a tree._

_BlackStar effortlessly re-shifted his weight and jumped to his feet without using his hands. When no immediate counter-attack was launched, his expression fell into a momentary pout before straightening as he tilted his head at the still form. "...Did I kill him?"_

_Cautiously optimistic about being attacked, BlackStar walked toward the fallen form. Kid was curled up with his hands clutching his head. At his approach, yellow eyes glared tearily up at him, "Ooooowww!"_

_BlackStar snorted and immediately fell into perfect cross-legged position with his chin resting in his palm, "Damn, I was hoping for at least another few rounds before you snapped out of it."_

_"Snapped out of it?"_

_"Trying to kill me. You suck at it, by the way. You might want to save trying for when you're sane."_

_Yellow eyes widened and Kid shot up-right, "I_ _**what** _ _?!"_

_"Tried. To. Kill me. I'm not understanding the problem, what part are you having trouble with?"_

_"That I tried to kill someone! Even someone as annoying as you!"_

_"I'd show you the wounds, but like I said: You suck at it."_

_"I don't... I don't understand. How could I...?"_

_**This** _ _was something BlackStar knew, "Because you hold back."_

 _The young death god's eyes finally_ _**focused** _ _on him, "What?"_

_"You're always so prim and proper and such a tight-ass. You never let anything out except your evenness explosions."_

_"Symmetry."_

_"Whatever. So when I finally pissed you off enough, you just completely lost all control. Sid says it's something those with power and in- intsti- instability have to watch out for."_

_Kid's eyes narrowed, "What power do you have?"_

_BlackStar blinked, then scowled, "Seriously, do you_ _**know** _ _my name?"_

_"BlackStar. Doesn't ring any bells."_

_The blue-haired boy honestly wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. On the bright side, he wasn't automatically being clumped in with the rest of the Star clan, on the other hand... He didn't know how to act on the other hand, because no one had ever failed to make that connection before. "And you call_ _**me** _ _an idiot."_

_"What was that you were saying about deliberate attempts to kill you being more effective than accidental ones?"_

_There had been some big words there, but he'd still gotten the gist of it, "Kay, then, let's see if this name sparks anything: WhiteStar."_

_"Star Clan. You're part of the Star Clan... You're part of the Star Clan!"_

_Given their earlier activity and the reputation of his sire, BlackStar was fully prepared for the deliberate strike that came at his throat, leaning over backward and pulling his legs up so he could guide the launching death god over his head with his knees. He rolled over and shot to his feet again, angling his body to present a smaller target as he waited for the next attack. He wasn't going to defend himself with_ _**words** _ _: fuck the whole rest of the goddamned world that judged him for what_ _**others** _ _had done. Kid wasn't the first, and BlackStar would lick the black-haired boy's boots if he was the last. He wasn't good with words anyway, but he_ _**was** _ _good with his fists, and anyone that accused him of being the same as the rest of his bastard clan was going to get their ass handed to them._

_Kid glared up at him from where he'd went sprawling, "Half-Kishin scum."_

_BlackStar sneered back, "And yet you manage to be half-god and all asshole at the same time. Well fuck you and the mirror you rode in on. I don't need this shit." he turned and shoved his way through the shrubbery surrounding the clearing._

_Kid's voice followed him as he left, "Go die in the wilderness and save me the trouble of killing you!"_

_"Have fun seeing if you can start a fire with that massive stick up your ass!"_

* * *

_BlackStar scowled down from his perch in the high tree. He'd never even_ _**seen** _ _a tree this massive before in his life and he wondered where exactly in the world Pops had dropped them-_ _**him** _ _, because he was having_ _**nothing** _ _to do with the ass he'd left in the clearing. The one that, as he'd thought, could_ _**not** _ _start a fire._

_The small dark figure down in the clearing had been rubbing sticks together for the last -well, it was hard to keep time with no watches or clocks, but it had to have been several hours by now- however long, failing at it. Probably not either of the sticks the one he'd had up his ass: neither were big enough._

_BlackStar himself knew_ _**how** _ _to start a fire, but he'd never had the patience for it. Kid apparently had patience in plenty -when it didn't have to do with BlackStar- but no idea what he was actually doing._

 _The blue-haired boy huffed and crossed his arms, conserving warmth as night overtook the sky. He thought he saw Kid finally give up and huddle against the base of a tree down in the clearing. Idiot, he was going to be wide open to predators that way. Whether it was two-footed or four-footed kind, you_ _**always** _ _got higher than the predators. No one ever thought to look up. Kid obviously didn't, or he'd probably have been able to spot BlackStar with his rather hard-to-miss blue hair._

_BlackStar didn't care what the shinigami thought. He didn't care what anyone thought, because he was going to change it all anyway. What did that bastard think he knew about BlackStar anyway? What had Kid ever wanted in his life that he hadn't been given? When had he ever wanted someone to pay attention to him that failed to do exactly that?_

_That pretty-boy didn't know what it was like to be hated from his birth, to know that the person raising him wouldn't hesitate to_ _**kill him** _ _if he ever dared step out of line. Kid didn't know what it was like to never fit in anywhere in the whole world because the only place he'd ever have been welcomed had been obliterated._

 _Not that it mattered if there was a place for him out there, somewhere, because BlackStar was going to carve out his_ _**own** _ _. He didn't care what anyone thought about him, because he was going to prove them all wrong. All of them. He wasn't going to become a kishin, he was going to be a hero. And someday, all those people that had looked down on him as something below them were going to be looking up at him and shouting his name in gratitude instead of fear and hatred._

 _It was going to be hard, but what in his life_ _**hadn't** _ _been? He could go the distance, he'd show them all. Green eyes narrowed at the spec in the clearing far below. He'd show Kid, too. He'd make his own place to belong._

* * *

_The shinigami woke up to the early morning light, the chill of the evening bleeding away, and startled fully awake in an instant, "What are you doing here?!"_

_Green eyes looked down at him, "_ _**I** _ _am saving your ungrateful ass from freezing to death, starving to death, thirsting to death, being killed by animals to death, and any other ways you could get yourself killed without the amazing BlackStar there to stop it. Now pay attention, pretty-boy:_ _**this** _ _is how you start a fire."_

_232323_


	24. Chapter 24

_242424_

_It had taken_ _**teamwork** _ _(the fucking dirty word) to manage to catch the meal, and neither of them were particularly fond of the swampy fish taste (BlackStar thought it was better burned, Kid naturally disagreed). By the end of the foray, they were both covered in soot and fish blood and dirt from another tussle that morning, and they hadn't exchanged more than a handful of words between them._

_The tension was thick enough for BlackStar to cut with one of his kunai. He instead focused on cleaning said blades -from the shinigami's cooties, when asked, but actually from the remains of their meal prep- and looked up, not even having to stop what he was doing with the weapon he knew the motions so well, "Why do you even use those? What's the point?"_

_BlackStar frowned, "Don't you have any pride in your history? Pops is originally from Japan. Sid offered me formal training in all the weapons and I jumped at the chance. Kendo, ninjitsu, all of that. That's also how I learned spear fishing. What are you_ _**doing** _ _with your time?"_

_"Studying, mostly. All my formal training is in Reaper Style Martial Arts."_

_It took a moment of silence to curb his tongue from what he_ _**wanted** _ _to say, "That's all well and good, sure, but what about weapons?"_

_"I'm not sure what weapons I'll eventually wield. I haven't found a partner yet."_

_There was a very nasty 'I'm not surprised' he managed to hold back -not that the effort would be appreciated- "So? Train in everything. What if your partner and you get separated? You gonna be a sitting duck?"_

_"I still have my shinigami powers to hold off enemies with!"_

_"..."_

_"I know they aren't much_ _**yet** _ _, but they will be when I'm older!"_

_"Well, in the mean time, we'll just ask any dangerous animals to kindly leave us alone and come back in a few years when you've had time to train."_

_Kid made a sound very much like a tea kettle and turned around sharply, beginning to stalk off, "I'm going to get some fire wood!"_

_"Try not to wind up dead~!"_

_The other let out a frustrated scream that only made BlackStar smirk, flipping his newly cleaned kunai around his forefinger before sheathing it. His blades once again pristine, he got up to look around for another stout branch that he could turn into a second fishing spear. His kunai had been more than sharp enough to carve down the wood to a proper point or three._

_The ground brush was heavy so BlackStar took to the trees in silence honed from many training sessions spent playing dodge with Sid. Those were the days; he'd rather be playing chase back with Sid than stuck out here babysitting this wannabe death god. It had been a wonderful kind of hell, dodging countless bladed traps set up, running through Kata until his muscles screamed at him and seized up. But it was all worth it when he got to see the pride in Sid and Pops' eyes. They believed in him, they knew he could do it, that he wouldn't turn out like the rest of the Star Clan. That was worth any pain._

_He froze on the next limb with a grimace of extreme distaste as a particular thought wormed it's way into that reasoning. Worth any pain. Even... putting up with and getting along with that fucking snob._ _**Fuuuuck! I have to go after him, don't I?** _ _BlackStar let out a very put-upon sigh and turned around reluctantly, heading back towards camp and the direction Kid had walked off in._

 _He dropped into the clearing from on high with a huff, surprised that Kid wasn't back from his 'fire wood gathering trip'. As if Star had never had someone walk off just to get away from him before. He_ _**had** _ _managed to scare off at least half of his new tutors. Well if Kid was just going to_ _**sulk** _ _, BlackStar wouldn't miss the chance to show him up. He'd go gather his own fire wood, more than Kid_ _**wasn't** _ _getting- he'd probably find a suitably stout branch in the search, too._

 _He smirked and started off the way the other boy had gone, seeing freaking_ _**bunches** _ _of perfectly good burning wood on the way that he gathered. Kid hadn't even tried. He was never going to hear the end of it when he came back with a couple of twigs. He grinned at the thought of the other's sure pout._

_Those thoughts all left at a panicked shout coming from up ahead of him. BlackStar dropped the fire wood without a thought and took off in the direction of the sound. He went from the ground to the trees and flashed through the forest from limb to limb. Unless Kid had been traveling the same way, he couldn't have gotten too far. BlackStar did something he rarely did: he overestimated his speed and couldn't stop when he heard another exclamation behind him. He missed his footing on the next branch, covering his face with his arms as he landed lower than he intended to and right into a thicket of limbs before touching ground._

_He brushed off the splinters with a curse and quickly sprinted back the way he'd come, more carefully so he didn't miss anything this time. What he saw brought him up short._ _**What the fuck?** _

_Kid was in a small clearing, the only reason it was there because the trees around had grown so thick their branches cut off almost all of the sunlight overhead. What caught Star's attention was the fucking huge bear that was currently taking swipes at the death god. More baffling was why he didn't just get up into the canopy to escape. He didn't even try, he was too busy looking around the forest floor for something, only barely avoiding the angered animal._

_BlackStar tensed as Kid went back to whatever he was doing amid the grass and the bear shot toward him with a roar. He jumped down and pulled the stupid snob back by the collar of his formal coat -worst outfit_ _**ever** _ _to get dropped in the wilderness in- and shoved them both into the undergrowth behind one of the trees, "What the fuck is wrong with you!?"_

_"I can't find it. I need to find it, I have to get it back. I have to, I have to I-"_

_"What?" Kid held up his left arm and BlackStar blinked, trying to understand as it was waved in his face, then he noticed the minor glint of light on the other sleeve, green eyes narrowing sharply. "Are you telling me..." he got out through clenched teeth, "That you're risking your life for a_ _**button** _ _?"_

_Kid didn't even appear fazed at the absolute fury in his voice, "I have to find it. I HAVE TO! Asymmetrical scum! I'm worthless I have to find it! Let me go!"_

_BlackStar ducked the fist coming at him and lost his grip on the other boy, who ran right back into the fucking clearing with the pissed-off bear. Star cursed him to hell -along with Pops for leaving them here and expecting them both to come out of it alive- and took off after him, tackling Kid to the ground and just barely saving him from the claws that had been about to imbed themselves in his back._

_Unfortunately, BlackStar wasn't quite as lucky and hissed at the stinging pain as he slid under the could-have-been lethal attack. Just how many days in a row was he expected to fight for his life? Was this going to be a recurring thing? Because if so, he was asking for hazard pay as soon as they got back home. Because they_ _**were** _ _going to make it back home, if it was the last thing he did._

 _He wrapped his arms around Kid and rolled them both away, pushing the other boy from him and rising to his feet with a shout to keep the animal's attention while Kid looked for that fucking button. (BlackStar promised himself he was going to shred every single suit in Kid's closet when they got back.) He bounced on the balls of his feet, keeping agile and ready to dodge in any direction given need. If he'd had his way, he'd have dragged Kid into the upper tree branches and waited for the creature to leave before hunting for the stupid little thing below, but apparently the brat had to have his button and had to have it_ _**right fucking then** _ _. Bastard shinigami fucker._

_BlackStar wasn't familiar with wildlife, really, he honestly couldn't tell what kind of bear the black thing facing him was, all he knew was that it had long claws and very sharp teeth and a bad temper. "Here, Yogi, come get some."_

_He dove to the right as it ran for him, rolling back to his feet and bouncing further away. It was a gamble, to put the bear between him and Kid, but he was betting on his ability to annoy the hell out of it more than Kid could by simply running his hands over the turf. It was a natural talent of his._

_He feinted forward with a shout that made the animal swipe at him defensively. He jumped the claws and socked it on the nose, not too hard (the thing was innocent and he wasn't about to kill it for defending its own territory), but the hit was certainly enough to get its attention and_ _**thoroughly** _ _tick it off. It lunged at him with a growl and BlackStar dove forward under the massive form, rolling to come up on its flank where he delivered another stinging blow before jumping back._

 _The animal was infuriated and he was only adding to it. He smirked._ _**Good.** _ _If he could just get it angry enough to_ _**really** _ _chase him, he could lead it away through the trees, then use the branches to come back for Kid. All he had to do was be aggravating as fuck._

 _And that plan might have worked, if Kid hadn't found his goddamned button at just that moment and let out a shout of joy, turning the ferocious creature's attention solely on him._ _**Fuck, fuck, FUCK!** _ _BlackStar didn't think, he just darted forward, trying to divert the bear's attention. It turned on him just enough to get in a viciously fast swing he didn't expect and he went down, instinctively curling up and rolling, but it didn't lessen the absolute screaming agony in his shoulder and it was all he could do not to scream._

 _Kid didn't even notice, and hell if he was going to depend on that bastard when he needed him- when he'd got them both into this over something so trivial in the first place. So BlackStar bit back the bleeding, throbbing pain and got to his knees, pulling his good arm back and focusing within himself for the wild power he knew was there but that he usually sucked at controlling. He was beyond caring about control at the moment. His soul wavelength, already a wild, reckless thing inside of him that roiled like waves on an angry ocean, answered his desperation as he sent it crashing back in on itself over and over again, pushing the waves higher, stronger,_ _**more** _ _, and then slammed his fist into the ground in front of him and unleashed it all._

 _The bear halted in the instinctual animal terror that came with the ground moving under it. The earth in front of him didn't just shake, it_ _**rolled** _ _, cracking and breaking, jagged shards of earth pushed up as they moved against each other and had no place else left to go. The earthshake only jostled his injured side more and the blue haired boy clenched his jaw and let out a pained groan through his teeth, the sound lost in the screeching rumble of stone grating against stone as the clearing turned itself inside out._

 _By the time the shaking stopped, the earth crying out stopped, the pain -well,_ _**it** _ _certainly didn't stop- leveled off, the only sound that could be heard was his ragged panting. BlackStar staggered to his feet and turned to see Kid on his knees, trying to figure out some way to reattach the button. He didn't even try to hold back his fury as he stalked towards the other boy and punched him in the cheek, sending him sprawling back and the button flying. He pulled the other up by the collar of his shirt and shoved him against the closest standing tree in the now-sunlit clearing, glaring green fire at him. Then he pulled up Kid's right arm and held it in front of him, leaned forward to close his teeth around the button of the sleeve, and jerked back sharply. The sound of thread snapping seemed to echo around the area even the birds had fled from and left silent._

_He spat the button into his hand and chucked it out into the forest as far as he possibly could, the glint of gold flashing in the air before it disappeared, he turned his frigid gaze back on the idiot that had almost gotten them killed, "There." he said deceptively softly, "Now it's symmetrical."_

_Golden orbs watched him warily, "I-"_

_"Shut. Up."_

_He stalked off, Kid hesitating before following behind him. He went back for his firewood load. The silence was brittle and highly uncomfortable- but not for him. He picked up every stick and twig he'd gathered on his way to find the shinigami and shoved each and every one into the arms of said death god. He only finally broke the silence when they finally got back to camp, turning and staring Kid dead in the eye in a way that made the death god freeze, "Black-"_

_"Is that. Enough fire wood. For you?"_

_Kid nodded meekly, not daring to try and speak again after that._

_242424_


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pleading Life. I got sick as a dog the last time I updated- literally THE DAY I updated, then Dad went into the hospital, came out of the hospital, almost went back into it because he came out too soon... And despite all that I STILL managed to get three chapters-worth of stuff written! Unfortunately, none of those next chapters were the next chapter for BRS...
> 
> Thank you everyone who's stuck with this for the year since it started, and to those who just found it recently- and everyone in-between. Sorry for being late this week, too, but again, Dad, plus my people bunnies were unable to come through for me due to reasons for BRS and, again, I always post these together. (And maybe possibly just a little bit because I got a little distracted trying my hand at writing Attack on Titan Riren smut...)

 

_252525_

_The young death god was stiff as a board as he worked on tidying up the campsite, completely, warily quiet. Like Hell BlackStar was going to be the one to carry on conversation._

_He ignored the death god as he went about his work, sitting at the base of a tree on the opposite side of the clearing. The scorched air between them eventually cooled to an all-consuming, stifling silence. He was passionate, and he could be quick to anger at an insult, but really, Star didn't have what it took to maintain a good fury for very long._

_Yeah, Kid was an idiot, and the brat still hadn't apologized, but BlackStar being angry wasn't going to do a thing to change that. Sid had put him in the dirt too many times for him to get so easily frustrated over stupid things. To be honest, it just took too much effort to keep the fire of anger burning._

_Holding grudges just wasn't Star's thing. He got mad, then he got even, then he got over it. Being furious got him precisely nowhere. Besides, it was more satisfying to_ _**not** _ _get mad when someone else wanted nothing more than a good, rousing argument. Kid was still stupid, and his symmetry thing was still a complete waste of time, but BlackStar's still being upset wouldn't change that he was also still hurt, and he really only had the energy to focus on one major emotion at once- pain won. By, like, a mile._

_By the jags of agony that raced up his arm everytime he so much as twitched the fingers of his right hand, he was pretty sure that his arm had been pulled completely out of it's socket by the blow he'd taken from the bear. And there was no way in hell he was letting the shinigami help him put it back. Hmm, maybe he was just a little bit more resentful than he'd thought..._

_So he waited until Kid was as logistically far from him as possible while still being in the clearing before getting up and ramming his shoulder against the tree he'd been sitting under, clenching his jaw on the pained sound that wanted to escape from jamming his arm back into it's socket. That was never fun, and the whole thing still throbbed with every little motion. What he wouldn't give for a heating pad to help bake out the pain._

_Actually, with his left arm feeling like he'd had a blow-torch run through the inside of it, maybe baking didn't sound so good after all. He knew it was likely to happen with how little control he had over his own soul wavelength, but it hadn't been this bad since the first time he'd used his soul menace attack. The skin felt singed and he had no doubt it'd look like it under his wrappings, and the muscles below the surface were beyond burning with a mix of pain and fatigue. All because-_

_BlackStar held the tree with his right hand and leaned his forehead against the trunk, rough bark digging into his skin. Less than a single whole day in and he was about ready to call it quits and give up because of that little prissy rich boy. He ground his teeth together and opened his eyes, staring hard at the ridges in front of him._ _**No** _ _. No, he wasn't about to give up because of_ _**Kid** _ _. That would just prove the other right. About what he wasn't certain, but Kid had probably made some conclusion that he was a weakling who couldn't make it out here. That sounded like something the prick would think._

 _But BlackStar wasn't going to let him win like that. He was going to stick out this entire punishment -or whatever it was- and show Pops and Sid_ _**and** _ _Kid that he could take it- that he could take anything they threw at him. He was going to make it, dammit! He'd be a hero, a star! He would!_ _**Nothing** _ _was going to stop him, not symmetry-obsessed shinigami, not wild animals, not even his own body! Not even his own_ _**soul** _ _!_

 _When his harsh breathing finally evened out somewhat, he pulled back from the tree, glaring at the imaginary enemy called_ _**couldn't** _ _. He bit back the pain until it went from an all-consuming thing to localized throbbing centered around his injuries. He'd done this before, gone through training missions injured; he could do it now, too._

_It didn't take much more than an hour to realize that something was up with Kid. He took extensive measures to make sure he didn't look directly at BlackStar, but also didn't put his back to the blue haired boy. Star frowned as he watched. He wasn't good at reading people's emotions and thoughts, he usually didn't bother to ever care about such things because he was so determined to change them anyway. He knew body motions, for the purpose of reading his opponent's next moves, but not for reading them as a person._

_But Kid's movements were showing hesitation and wariness. Hesitation... and wariness. The realization hit him like lightning._ _**He doesn't trust me. No, he thinks I'll ATTACK him!** _ _BlackStar almost staggered. Kid not only still didn't trust him, he thought of him as an enemy to always keep within sight lest they get the first hit in._

 _He had saved that ungrateful fucker's_ _**life** _ _, fixed his goddamned symmetry wardrobe issue, taught him how to make a fire to keep him from freezing his pathetic ass off, and Kid_ _**still** _ _didn't trust him._

_Kid still didn't trust him._

_Turning away with a dark scowl BlackStar decided he couldn't care less. What the hell did it matter if the shinigami trusted him or not? Not a bit. And if Kid was declaring them enemies, then so be it. He wouldn't show any weakness around the other, because sure as the death god was OCD, he'd use it to his advantage._

_Their trust or lack-thereof didn't mean a damn thing anyway. They were alive, (sketchy as it had been with how tempting it'd been to drown the other in the stream) they had water, and they were full._

_They were absolutely disgusting. When the camp was finally put to what Kid considered proper order -even their make-shift beds perfectly opposite each other on opposing sides of the fire pit- he looked down at himself and made a sound of distress, "We really should bathe. We're filthy."_

_For once, BlackStar didn't scoff or argue when the Shinigami's sense of cleanliness kicked in. That suited Star just fine. He wasn't used to being this grimy, anyway, he made it a habit to wash off as soon as Sid and he finished training. He took a deep breath to keep his face straight, then threaded his fingers together behind his head and followed Pretty Boy to the river- a different part further down than the one they'd drank from earlier because it wasn't like there were thousands of gallons of water flowing by every minute or anything..._

_BlackStar snorted in humor at his own thoughts and started heading even further downstream._

_"H-hey, where are you going?"_

_The blue haired boy paused and looked back over his shoulder, "Going to wash, duh."_

_"Shouldn't we stay close together?"_

_BlackStar smirked, "Aww, scared of tripping and getting a boo-boo on only one side of your body?"_

_Kid frowned at him and very visibly reined himself in, "You said the whole reason you came this morning was because predators were a problem. It seems detrimental to separate when we're at our most vulnerable."_

_Even_ _**with** _ _the ten-cent words, BlackStar thought he got the gist of what the other was saying. He just wasn't sure what was going through the black haired boy's mind. Was he worried about himself? As if the bear would come back after him and BlackStar would fight it off again? There was no way he was worried about Star bathing on his own and being left open to attack. Did he not trust BlackStar where he couldn't keep an eye on him in case he tried to do... what? He wasn't good at figuring out what other people were thinking to begin with, and trying to figure out what Kid might think_ _**he** _ _would think was already giving him a headache. He_ _**hated** _ _trying to figure out things like this!_

 _Finally, BlackStar sighed and shrugged -wincing as his arms sharply protested the movement-because it didn't really matter: if he said no, one thing he had_ _**no** _ _doubt about was the shinigami would just stalk him anyway. "Fine. You watch that side of the river and I'll watch this side. No peeking."_

_Golden eyes rolled, "What, shy about showing off your 'god-like' physique?"_

_"You realize you just asked to have me at your back, right? Please, keep fucking with me."_

_"Hmph."_

_He glared until the shinigami finally turned around and began undressing- folding everything, of course. BlackStar turned away and held in a snort and started taking off his own clothes. Shoes and socks were toed off, not even needing to bend down or use his injured arms. Next came the arms themselves, and BlackStar winced as he slowly undid his wrappings, his right hand twitching as he used it to unwind his left arm. The skin was red and irritated, scuffed and blistered in places where his soul wavelength had burned him from the inside-out, worse the closer to his hand as the attack had built._

_It was the price he paid. Probably wouldn't have been so bad if he'd been able to use his right for it, but that hadn't been an option at the time and his desperation had far outstripped any form of caution past experience had lent him. BlackStar's jaw tightened as he clenched his hand into a fist, turning his soul wavelength against itself deep inside- not a lot, he wasn't a complete idiot- just to test his sensitivity, and locked his teeth on a jolt of electric pain that raced down his shoulder to his very fingertips in scorching pain, body going rigid. It was going to be a long time before he did that again- and quite possibly never again with that arm and its new-found sensitivity to his own soul wavelength. BlackStar let the power recede, not truly built up much anyway, and unclenched his fist, forcibly relaxing his frame to ease the tension and keep him from tearing something. The last thing he needed at a time like this was another injury._

_His breath exploded out in a rush and he reclenched his left hand before relaxing it once more, until the pain of movement became his new normal and he had flexibility enough to unbandage his other arm. Aside from the muscle strain, his right arm was actually in pretty good shape. Even the three gashes near his shoulder were shallow and barely more that scratches, having taken the brunt of a paw and only a grazing from the claws there. The blood had trickled down to stain the top of his wrappings, but it was already dry. The pain was less, too: very sore, and very fatigued, but not the searing pain of his left. It certainly protested whole arm movement because the shoulder was still tender, but he could move his elbow fine and his wrist and fingers felt mostly numb- that odd sensation of lessened pain due to the body focusing primarily on a greater wound._

_His legs were fine- a little scuffled at the knees, but what else could he expect rolling across the ground? And there was nothing wrong with his feet. He gave a few test bounces on his heels, feeling them respond the same as always. His shorts were absolutely hopelessly grass-stained, but it's not that was a pressing concern in the first place given how his upper wardrobe was almost certainly utterly ruined. BlackStar reached up and grabbed the back of his top to pull it off so he could assess the damage._

_The first tug quickly disabused him of that plan and he hissed in surprised pain._ _**Shit!** _ _That_ _**burned** _ _. Worse than his arm by far. He tucked his tongue against his cheek, bit down, and tugged -gently- again, tasting blood. Dammit. Whatever kind of mess his back was, his top had freaking fused with the wound when the blood had begun drying. There was only two ways to get it off: either ripping it away from the wounds- and doubtlessly ripping them wide open- or soaking in the river until the dried blood softened enough for him to try and peel it off._

_He wasn't willing to try that first one just yet, so he didn't really have any choice but to hop in the river clothed. The barest peek over his shoulder showed a head of black hair already on the far side. Mister Prissy had gotten completely undressed and folded all his clothes in the time it had taken BlackStar to assess his injuries. That galled, just a little, but he didn't have the energy to start a fight over it at the moment and crept into the water as silently as he could. He heard the pause in water-sounds behind him, but apparently Kid was holding their cease-fire the same as him while washing and he didn't hear any caustic comments about how his undressing was as slow as his thoughts or some other smart-ass insult._

_BlackStar held in another hiss as he lowered himself into the river and felt the cool liquid lap at the unseen injuries on his back. He glanced back, trying to get a look, but couldn't see anything except the black of his top- and Kid's pale form an indistinct blur beyond that. But he did see the pink tint to the water flowing away from him. He turned his head back and lowered himself until just his nose and up weren't submerged, blowing bubbles from his lips in aggravation. The cool water felt good on his left arm, but made his right seize painfully and threaten to completely cramp in protest. There was no winning for him today._

_When his left arm felt more or less normal and his right had faded to a throbbing sort of numbness, he reached up and again grabbed the back of his top's collar, tugging carefully. The unknown wounds on his back protested loudly, but the cloth separated with that shivery feeling of pulling off a scab or partially-stuck dressing. A few times it clung and he had to take a few moments to carefully pluck at the shoulders until the cloth released and he could continue. Finally, after several time-stopping moments and a few false starts, he got the... utterly shredded shirt off. BlackStar stood up, the cool water still lapping at his stomach, and winced at the top. Without his blood to glue the cloth to his flesh, the back hung in tatters. He could only guess at what his own looked like._

_He didn't really register the aggravated huff behind him, and by the time it penetrated, he wasn't able to duck down in the water in time. "Oh my god!"_

_Water sloshed noisily as he spun around and dropped, holding his shirt to his chest like a girl hiding something- only he was more concerned about hiding the state of the top than his body. Kid's face was slack as he gaped at the blue haired boy openly. Star grimaced at the thought of Kid seeing anything._

_"Where did you get those wounds?!"_

_His eyebrow twitched at the thought of Kid scolding him for daring to be injured asymmetrically, his expression falling into a scowl, "Are you stupid?" Well, their truce had been nice while it lasted... "Where do you think I got them?"_

_BlackStar was shocked when Kid failed to even acknowledge the insult, sloshing over his way, "Turn around, those have to be tended to! How are you even standing?"_

_He shrugged without even flinching, "It's just a couple scratches."_

_The shinigami stared at him wide-eyed and open-mouthed, "BlackStar, I don't know if you know just how bad your back looks, but I can see_ _**muscle** _ _."_

_The blue haired boy shuddered just imagining it, glancing over his shoulder hesitantly, "...Is it really that bad? It doesn't feel like it..."_

_It was the worried look in Kid's gold eyes that finally helped it sink home that he might need more help than he'd thought and -slowly, because he still wasn't sure he trusted the other boy- he turned around and presented his back. Kid made a distressed sound and reached out with infinite slowness to touch him, making BlackStar flinch and hiss. Okay,_ _**that** _ _hurt. "Oh my god."_

_BlackStar reached back with his right hand and held out his ruined top, "Here, use this to wipe away the blood. Not much other use left for it anyway."_

_Kid hesitantly took the destroyed garment, wetted it down, and carefully dabbed at BlackStar's mangled back. He was gentle, Star would give him that; Sid wouldn't have hesitated at all to clean his injuries, regardless of the pain. He tried to keep from wiggling because Kid's tending actually tickled, only hurting on occasion. "BlackStar... These are..." He swallowed audibly, "These are going to get infected- almost certainly- unless we do something."_

_Yeah, he'd kind of figured that much. "What_ _**can** _ _we do?"_

_"I can- I can think of only two things, and you aren't going to like either one of them. I'm not even sure how effective they'll really be. I considered this- here, with you- to be just a punishment for us. But neither of us really knows what the hell we're doing. I don't have the faintest clue about any medicinal herbs, do you?"_

_"No. I never learned anything like that. I know some poisonous ones, but I don't know any helpful ones."_

_"Then the only- the only way I can see to even reduce the chance of these getting infected is... is either scalding them... or burning them closed."_

_BlackStar gulped as his whole body tensed. Kid was right: he_ _**didn't** _ _like the sound of either of those options. But then, it wasn't exactly like he had a choice, was it? His fingers found their way to opposite wrists and dug in, "How's it look? Describe it to me."_

_Kid's tending paused, "It's... bad. There are four huge gashes going from your right shoulder to left hip, deepest in the middle. It's bleeding steadily, and when I wash it off, I can see the glisten of muscle fibers moving with every breath you take."_

_His stomach churned at the thought, "...I'm going to bleed to death if we don't get it to stop soon, aren't I?"_

_The silence was oppressing, "...Yes. I think your shirt stemmed it earlier, but there's no way we could use it as a bandage unless we boiled the hell out of it."_

_BlackStar tossed a smile over his shoulder with a confidence he didn't really feel, and if it wavered somewhat, Kid didn't mention it, "Well if we're going to need boiling water for- a-anyway. Might as well, right?"_

_"R-right. Let's go. There's no point staying here. We need to treat this as soon as possible."_

_Star nodded and hauled himself from the water, wincing at the warm liquid he could feel running unchecked down his bare back. He didn't even have to get dressed since his top was in tatters and he still had his shorts on. BlackStar struggled his socks and shoes on while standing and not bending down so he didn't stress his back, giving Kid time to get his own things on. Kid was still finished before him. He hadn't even realized how slowly he'd been moving. That worried him, because it didn't_ _**feel** _ _slow._

_Kid even helped him back to camp, and he was too tired to worry about it at the moment. BlackStar went to his 'bed' and laid out on his stomach, watching as Kid stirred up the banked fire and put the large, bowl-shaped rock half-way into the flames. Then the shinigami sat next to him as they waited for the water to boil and fussed over his injuries, "This is all my fault, isn't it?"_

_BlackStar shrugged, then took Kid's wince as a clue that he shouldn't do that again. It still didn't hurt much. He felt cold; numb. Hmm, that should probably be worrying, shouldn't it? "Why do you even care?"_

_"You're_ _**dying** _ _, BlackStar, right in front of me!"_

_"You tried to kill me yourself just yesterday. What's changed? Why are you upset that I'm dying because of something you didn't mean to do instead of something you did mean to do? I don't understand you."_

_Kid grimaced, "You saved my life."_

_"So?"_

_" 'So'?_ _**'So** _ _'?! I almost got us both killed! I may have_ _**still** _ _got you killed! Why don't_ _**you** _ _care?!"_

_BlackStar began to shrug, then stopped himself, settling for a huff, "If I'm going to die, I'll die."_

_"How can you say something like that?"_

_"All my life, I've known I'm going to die." Kid's tense posture slumped at that, and Star went on, "Pops and Sid made it clear from the get-go: If I ever lost control, like you did yesterday, one or the other would have stepped in and killed me. I've always known I'd die."_

_Kid seemed to pull in on himself, "How could you live like that? Knowing that the people you love most would kill you?"_

_"It made me grateful."_

_Golden eyes stared at him disbelievingly, "What?!"_

_His hands fisted, "I won't be like the rest of the Star Clan. I_ _**won't** _ _. If I begin to slip down that path, I hope someone kills me before I strike my first victim. They gave me the chance to change all that: to change the entire reputation of the Star Clan, and that's what I'm going to do. So if I ever start to backslide, I'd rather die. I'm going to change everyone's minds about my clan, I'm going to be a hero, a star. If I die saving someone- even someone as annoying as you- it'd be good enough."_

_Kid's eyes overflowed and he wiped at his cheeks, "Well it's not good enough for me! How do you intend to change anyone's mind if you're dead? So don't you dare die! Why would you even put yourself in the way for me?"_

_Green eyed bored into his, "You don't get it, Kid. I'm not going to live like you. I've got a couple years- a couple dozen if I'm good and lucky. You, once you make it, once you grow up, you've got the rest of forever to make your impression on the world. I only have these few years to make mine. So no matter what I have to do, no matter the dangers, I'll face them without flinching."_

_Kid sat back on his haunches, wondering how he could have possibly misread BlackStar to such a severe degree. From the first moment they'd met, BlackStar had been fighting to prove himself just as good as Kid: just as strong, just as fast, just as agile. He challenged the entire world to sit up and take notice, dared it to ignore him at its own peril. He had an unwavering goal, and an unflinching, unbreakable, pure and whole-hearted_ _**belief** _ _that he'd reach it- one way or another, no matter what._

_"I don't understand you, either. You're so small, so stubborn, so... so uneducated. But you... you've got this- this absolute certainty that you can do anything."_

_BlackStar grinned at him, "I've got a dream, and I'm not going to give up until I make it real with my own two hands. I'll change fate, change my clan's destiny, it's reputation; the whole world! My name is BlackStar and I'm going to change the world!"_

_Kid's eyes widened_ _, staring as_ _BlackStar was haloed by the orange of the fire behind him, seeming to make him glow, and believed him._

_252525_


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not very sure of the chapter this week. I couldn't find get into the writer mood needed for BRS, so I wrote up this, then when that didn't work completely, I wound up also writing a new SoMa One Shot. So if you're craving more after this, feel free to check that out.
> 
> With the exception of that one shot, my writing this week kinda makes me twitch, but my birthday is monday and I'm giving myself the gift of not freaking out about it.)

_262626_

_Kid didn't get it. He didn't understand what it was that made BlackStar try so hard. What gave him his strength?_

_He was the son of Death, he'd had tutors all his life: to educate him, to teach him to defend himself, he'd had every opportunity to push himself to his limits because there were no limits on what he could do with what he had. The only thing he struggled with was himself._

_BlackStar was the exact opposite. He hadn't had anyone there for him like Kid had. BlackStar didn't struggle with himself, he accepted who he was whole-heartedly- it was the rest of the world he struggled with, fought with. He fought for everything, every inch of ground gained was hard-won, every scrap of respect undoubtedly earned._

_Kid had never had to struggle for respect, it had been given to him because he was the successor of Death, and everyone just assumed he'd live up to those expectations._

_BlackStar was expected to live up to his Clan's reputation, too, but he fought it every step of the way, absolutely determined to change his fate. And if he couldn't do that, he'd change the whole world around him._

_Kid had never thought of changing the world- not really. Who he was demanded he maintain the status quo his father had set. He'd worked towards that goal, never giving it a second thought. Never giving a thought to which Death Scythe he'd inherit from his father, the powers that would be his by right._

_But BlackStar wasn't like that. He'd crafted his own dream from nothing, from all the hate and opposition turned on him from birth, just because of who he was, and he vowed to see that dream through, making it real with his own hands._

_Kid had always been cared for. Every injury tended to, every question answered just for the asking, every skill honed when he showed even the slightest interest in it. BlackStar struggled for all of that; had tended his own wounds, had either found his answers himself or given up the question as unimportant, had found something he liked doing and strove to be the best just to prove he could be._

_They'd clashed from the first, BlackStar's uncaring, flippant attitude rubbing Kid the wrong way from the moment they met. But he was beginning to understand now. It wasn't that BlackStar was disrespectful, it was that Kid hadn't earned his respect yet. BlackStar looked at him and saw weakness, saw someone pampered who didn't know strife like he had. And he was right. Kid hadn't struggled like the blue haired boy. Kid hadn't even been able to comprehend_ _**the way**  _ _BlackStar had struggled, his life so different from Kid's own. He was beginning to understand now._

_Kid could barely wrap his mind around loving someone who you knew would kill you if you made the wrong move. He'd never doubted his father's love, his sense of right and wrong. But he was now beginning to see that his faith had never really seen opposition before, either. BlackStar maintained that same faith, in the face of his own death. The foundation of Kid's world trembled._

_But even that... even that hadn't been the end. He'd considered them enemies, forced together in a bound-to-fail effort to get them to cooperate, and he'd seen BlackStar as less than himself. This heathen that spoke so big about his skills but could never beat him in a spar. This blue-haired bomb that dropped into his life and upset his perfectly planned-out future, who dared to rock the foundations he built himself upon, who left rampant chaos behind him and called it a job well-done._

_...And then, when Kid lost it, lost himself, tried to_ _**kill**  _ _**him** _ _... BlackStar came back and helped him. Taught him how to make fire, didn't get upset when they had to figure out how to get and boil water, didn't attack him even when he had his back turned. BlackStar who put up with Kid's symmetry obsession -reluctantly- and who had saved his life, who had thrown himself into a life-threatening situation just to save Kid._

_And even afterward, he didn't yell at Kid, didn't tell him what an idiot he was, didn't make fun of him for his asymmetry, didn't even pummel him for being a complete moron and risking both their lives- well, except for that one punch. BlackStar hadn't said a thing, just sat on the other side of the clearing -Kid knew now- and dealt with what must have been severe pain all on his own. Where did the blue haired boy get such strength? Why would he do that? Put himself through all that, for someone he hated?_

_The answer was astonishing: just because it was the right thing to do. Because BlackStar was going to be a hero, and heroes didn't let their personal feelings get in the way when someone was in danger. He still thought Kid was a symmetry-obsessed idiot, but he'd save him again anyway if the shinigami needed it._

_Kid wondered about himself. Would he have saved BlackStar? Probably. The bear wasn't as big a risk to him as it was to normal humans. It wouldn't do as much damage to him, and if he went berserk again like he had with BlackStar, his shinigami instincts and powers probably would have kicked in to keep him alive. Yes, he'd most likely have saved BlackStar, but not because it would be heroic to do so, he'd probably have done so just to rub it in the blue haired boy's face how much more superior he was and how BlackStar had even less right to all his claims to fame and his 'god-like skills'._

_He frowned in thought as he watched the water heating, coming to a startling revelation about his life._ _**I... I don't like myself...**  _ _He looked over to where BlackStar was waiting, tense and gritting his teeth against the pain that came in waves, and frowned harder._

_BlackStar was anything but humble, certainly, but how much of the bluster was to protect the pride that he had to have in himself because there just wasn't anyone else? Had Kid ever really had pride in himself? He couldn't remember. He recalled completing something and feeling satisfied: he had done it, he'd lived up to the expectations placed on him. His previous accomplishments seemed to dull. He was tired of living up to expectations, he wanted to exceed them, shatter them. He didn't want his father to be happy with what he'd done, he wanted him to beam with pride because he'd never imagined Kid could go that far, do so much._

_He was tired of treading the worn path laid out for him by others, he wanted to make his own. He wanted to push himself, he... he wanted to figure out what he was capable of on his own. He hadn't had limits before, not because he they hadn't existed, but because he hadn't pushed himself until he found them. He scowled, disgusted with his complacency. No wonder his father had introduced him to BlackStar, he'd needed a harsh shot of reality._

_In the short time they'd known each other, he'd beaten BlackStar countless times, and yet when it came down to it, BlackStar had saved his life twice. All his knowledge hadn't done much to help keep him safe from that bear, to keep him warm in the cold._

_The silence grew too much for him, too stifling, too recriminating with the accusations of his own mind, "I... I don't have dream of my own. I don't know what I want to do, who I want to be. I've never even questioned it. I'll be the god of death. That's been my whole life, I never had a reason to think anything else. I never had to strive for it, it would just be when I was old enough, when I was ready."_

_"Do you even want to be the god of death?"_

_"I-" he hesitated, "I don't know. I've never thought about it."_

_"So think about it. What do_ _**you**  _ _want to do? What good is a life lived for someone_ _**else's** _ _dream? That's just stupid."_

_"But Father-"_

_"Trust me: we don't owe our lives to our parents. We owe it to them to live them to the fullest, to be true to ourselves. If you can't be true to yourself, who the hell else is even left?"_

_Those words hit close to home and Kid had no response. A small kernel of determination hardened inside of him, and Kid nodded. He couldn't say that he'd change who he was, he looked back at his life and realized he didn't really_ _**know**  _ _who he was. BlackStar knew himself, took pride in who he was because no one else would. Kid had people placing expectations on him without even knowing him._

_That's what he'd do for now: he'd figure out who he was, he'd dig deeper, figure out what he liked, what he wanted. Then he wouldn't hide behind the shadow others cast on him anymore, he'd show them all who the real Death the Kid was- just as soon as he discovered it himself. Kid wanted to have pride in himself, he wanted to look back on what he'd done and feel secure in the knowledge that even if it failed, he'd done the best he could. There was no shame in failure as long as someone did their best._

_**Oh...**  _ _He felt like slapping himself._ _**That**  _ _was why BlackStar was just as determined after every spar even when he lost. He'd done his best and gotten better, so what did he have to be ashamed of?_

_The shinigami blew out a breath that moved his hair, their desperate attempt at treatment finally ready. He looked over at BlackStar again, shivering just at the thought of what the other was about to go through, "...Ready?"_

_The blue haired boy grimaced, "No." then he smiled, big and gleaming, "Do it anyway."_

_BlackStar pressed his face into the make-shift bedding as Kid stood and fished out the sterilized strips with a stick, doing his best to get out the excess hot water so it didn't drip and hurt any more than it had to, then he took a deep breath and placed the hot cloth over one of the gashes. BlackStar's entire body locked and the muscles of his neck stood out as his jaw clenched impossibly tight._

_Apologies streamed from Kid's lips constantly as he repeated the procedure on the other wounds, fervently hoping that this worked and they could keep BlackStar from getting an infection, because Kid didn't know what he'd do if he had to sear the wounds closed. His stomach clenched just doing this, he really didn't think he could do that to the other boy he owed so much to._

_BlackStar couldn't it take it after the second one and his jaw unlocked on a scream. Kid didn't think less of him for it, he steeled his resolve and treated the final gash as well, still apologizing the entire time, and desperate prayers running through his mind._ _**Please... please don't let this be in vain, don't let him suffer this for nothing.** _

_Finally it seemed to be too much for even BlackStar- the exhaustion and excitement and pain of the entire day catching up to him all at once- and he passed out. Kid finished and sat next to him, hesitating only a moment before tenderly running his fingers through the blue strands._

_**I understand now.**  _ _He really did. BlackStar had a faith in himself that came from understanding who he was, what his limits were, and constantly pushed himself past them. That was what gave him his core of strength. That and he had a boundless determination that lent him an unshakable well to draw on when he wavered. BlackStar could fall- he could fall a million times- but it was his determination to pick himself back up every single time that was his true strength._

_Kid would work on having that, too. He wanted to stand beside this fount of strength and power, pride and determination, and match him. Kid wanted to show him that he wasn't the spoiled brat the blue haired boy thought he was. He wanted BlackStar to respect him... as much as he already respected BlackStar. That would be his first step,_ _**that's** _ _what would strive for. Because BlackStar would understand, BlackStar knew the weight of pride, and if he could make BlackStar proud of him, Kid knew he'd be worthy of that pride._

_262626_


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I'd give a the whole explanation here, but I've been up for over a day now and just do not have the energy to do so.
> 
> I've written over twenty-thousand words in the last week, including two new, complete (so you don't have to wait for updates) fics. SoMa with KidStar, called Lonely Eyes and A Little Risk. So if you feel like reading more, you might want to check those out. They also have the longer explanation because I was more awake when I wrote them.
> 
> To the ones coming in or back from A Little Risk: Er, make that this week, after all.
> 
> (And for those that are new to the word: 'entropy' means death. So entropic energy would be the energy related to death.)

272727

Blair escorted her into the room, knowing without ever having to ask which was the right one, "Here you are. Now are you going to behave and get some rest like you're supposed to?"

Liz nodded and slumped down in the only other free chair in the room, "Uh, looks like we'll need more seating in a little bit."

Blair looked around the small room- or at least it was small with the number of people all crammed into the space. "It won't take but a second." She muttered a quiet spell that had dust motes in the air transformed into cots along the walls. Kid's bed was the only one in the room. Even with all the upset, the son of Death had been given as much comfort as possible.

Liz struggled into one of the make-shift beds and immediately fell into a deep, medication-induced sleep. Soul was in the only other chair in the room, next to the bed, Maka in her wheelchair in front of him, and BlackStar on the bed next to the young death god. All of them were asleep. Blair smiled at the scene, so unusually quiet, and turned to go.

"Blair?"

She turned around, "Yes, Maka?"

"How are-" she was interrupted by a yawn, "How are the others? I didn't mean to fall asleep. Soul and I promised BlackStar we'd keep watch until he woke up."

"I was helping Professor Stitches figure out all the damage since I've got the magic for it. The other Thompson kitten, Patty, she has her wish of ears and tail now. Her pet, that cat-like creature, it dabbled in magic it shouldn't have. But I will come up with a way to fix it, you can be sure of that."

"Where are they?"

"Professor Stitches is giving them a complete check-up... again, to make sure nothing went wrong when the spell struck. That one, Liz, pushed herself too hard. She's injured herself even more, but if she doesn't push even further, she'll be okay. But she  _needs_  to rest. You all need to rest."

"I can't. I promised-"

"I'll take care of you, Maka. I'll place a barrier around the room. Who would you trust to take care of you all if you needed it?"

"Professor Stein is good. And... I suppose I should let my Dad in if he wants... But none of the other adults. I don't know who might be out to hurt BlackStar."

"My magic is the best. No one else will get in this room except the other Thompson kitten and that reckless pet of hers, Stitches, and your father. Not even if they tear down the walls around you, You've got my word as an absurdly powerful magical cat."

The young ash-blonde nodded sleepily, her energy already drained from the conversation, "Okay." her head dropped to her chest and didn't rise again. Blair stepped up next to the wheeled chair, kneeling in front of Maka, and gently pushed the young woman's bangs out of her face. Carefully, so she didn't disturb her, Blair lifted her out of the uncomfortable chair and laid her on one of the newly-made cots, then did the same for Soul, so they rested together. Her charges always slept better when they were together.

On her way out of the room, she stopped in the doorway and reached out with her magical senses, feeling the latent energy in the air- and it was  _massive_  being the dwelling place of the God of Death. The entropic energy alone gave off enough power to raise the hair on her arms with a feeling like static. She reached out and grabbed the seething energy, shaping it to her will, coloring it with her magic by running it through her body, letting it fill her soul, and spill out from her fingertips, "Pum-pum pumpkin..."

She watched the threads rise from her hands and weave together rapidly, a sight invisible to any who didn't have magic of their own, as it gave itself over to the spell and formed a barrier around the entire room. It swept across the walls like purple and orange smoke, spreading across the floor, until she was satisfied, and the spell snapped firmly into place with a flash of light only she could see, before all of it faded away from view even to her.

Blair let out a sigh and stepped back, then reached out with her hand, feeling pressure around the appendage. Just inside the doorway, she felt true resistance until the invisible barrier recognised her and allowed her hand to pass through. It was a dizzying sensation of being two separate places at once, having body parts not attached and yet still sensitive: not unlike when Lord Death allowed the use of his mirrors for transportation.

She pulled her arm back and shook out the tingles. She didn't feel the least bit tired from the exertion, the energy she'd taken in had been more than what she'd used, but it did make her weary. Entropic energy wasn't meant to be used so liberally by the living, and her soul felt worn down from drawing on it so much. Not that she'd had much choice with all the energies she'd had to play with just to get a feel for the spell that- that-  _Pushi_  had unleashed, and to get any idea of how she might treat it in the future. But right at the moment, now that she knew Soul and Maka would be safe, there was something more important than some extra parts to worry about.

The purple-haired woman turned on her heels and made her way to the second heaviest concentration of entropic energy in the grand building, striding in without knocking with all the assurance of a cat that knew she owned whatever ground she walked on. Fully two dozen figures turned toward her when she entered.

"What the hell is that, that  _animal_  doing in here?"

Blair cast a sharp look at the asshole who'd spoken, a teacher or member of staff obviously, but not one she recognized, and not one of the seven Death Scythes in the room. She dismissed him as unimportant, standing proudly, apathetically, and turned her gaze on the skull-faced figure in the middle of the room, "We have a problem."

"Yeah, and it just strutted in like it owned the place. Lord Death, give me permission to remove this creature from the room."

That was it. Blair rounded on him with an angry hiss, unhesitating to show her feline fangs, "I am the Magical Cat Blair, Bonded to the Meister Maka Albarn and Weapon Soul Eater, and you  _will_  acknowledge my powers! You, who sit there and dare to judge me for being who and what I am. Time for you to grow up, little boy.  _Yes_ : I am a cat, an  _animal_. Look around you: fully half of your student population is no longer entirely human. Now, I dare you, judge me again." Blair's tail escaped her control, lashing about furiously.

"Miss Blair." Her golden gaze slid toward the blue-eyed blond Death Scythe, "If I might ask a question. While certainly rude about it, a point has been made. What reason are you here for?"

She frowned, "I will get to that, but it requires a little history. Lord Death, if I might?" She may have been a cat, and supremely confidant, but Blair wasn't stupid.

He nodded and...  _moved_ , back, giving her the floor. "Of course."

"I-"

"How do we know we can even trust this...  _woman_? She's steeped in magic, so evil in her actions she was mistaken as a witch."

Her ears flattened beneath her hat and her tail lashed again, "You know you can trust me because I'm Maka's."

"What does that even mean?"

"I am a Magical Cat." at the blank look, she sighed and struggled after an explanation, "I'm a creature of magic, a being who guards, who gives companionship. I'm a... a Familiar. Bound to one master my entire life, to offer them any help they might need. When my previous master died, that obligation was not absolved. I was still Bound, but I was... unattached, like a chain I carried around on a shackle that had been pulled from the wall. When Maka and Soul 'killed me', took that soul, ended that life, that obligation ended, and I was free to Bind myself to a new master. I admired Maka and Soul's bond, their trust, their... their cleverness. I chose them, they are mine and I am theirs. I am bound to them, gave this life over to them. I couldn't hurt them if I tried to. Does that make things... clearer?"

Lord Death nodded, "I see, I see~"

"I couldn't be..." she waved her hand around vaguely, "Destructive, anymore, because it would hurt Maka and Soul. But what I need to speak of for you to understand our current problems goes back further than that. To my previous master. I was not always as I am now. I was born a normal cat, like any other. My owner took me in, cared for me, loved me. But she was lonely, and so was I. My master was a Witch." Deathly silence permeated the room, and she went on, "Being around her, around magic, it... changed me. I became aware, the way a person is aware. But I was stuck in my original form. She changed that, changed me. She did something, a spell, and gave me the ability to shift into a human form where we could converse and assuage our loneliness, but it also changed me inside, and bound me to her.

"She became worried I would find myself in trouble. What you as DWMA-affiliates don't know is that witches are not... pack creatures. There is a suspicion amongst them, always, that goes so deep it is almost an instinct, and exceptions made only very rarely. A witch cannot steal another's magic, but the knowledge available in their home, the energy patterns: how they work their magic to do things, is left behind even when they die. Such knowledge is valuable and carefully guarded. It can cause fights, almost wars, and only risk of discovery will cause the Counsel of Sisters and the Grand Witch to step in. Entire covens, families, can and will be wiped out for such secrets, and even blood relations are at risk.

"My master, she worried her secrets would be stolen if she died, and that I would be left defenseless: back to nothing but a stray cat with an uncanny ability. But all of the exposure to magic all my life let me see those patterns in the air, and when my master came back wounded, fatally so, she gave me her magic. Did something, something with her blood in mine, that gave me her powers, to protect myself with. You call all witches evil, but that's not it. It's the magic.

"You can feel it all around you: the energy of living creatures, even the energy of death itself. You can feel it moving through your blood, beating in your heart. It leaves a... a hunger, to play with it, to run it through your soul like a breath of spring-scented fresh air would for your lungs. It is... life. It's life and death and nature and it sings when you hold it in your hands. That's why a place that houses a witch-" she smiled sardonically, "-or even a cat with an absurd amount of magical power, looks different. Nature responds to us, seeks our attention, invites us to play with it and change it. It is chaos, but that's what nature is.

"But some take it too far. The land can become... poisoned, and it poisons those who touch with it afterward. Such places taint the magic, twists it, until it cries for things it shouldn't, awful things. You know these places, they have a tendency to draw kishin. Whether it's the kishin that cause the poison or they are simply drawn to it once it's happened I don't know. But witches are not evil. No more evil than tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanoes. They are powerful, dangerous, they are forces of nature, but not evil."

"Why are you trying so hard to convince us of the goodness of witches?"

Blair's ears, hidden by her hat, twitched nervously, "Because the process by which I was given my magic has been repeated, in a way I haven't seen before. In a human, it won't result in a magical animal, like myself; it will breed true." Blair took a deep breath and stood her full height, staring directly into the dark voids that were the God of Death's eyes, "I believe the student Patty Thompson was somehow tainted by that Kishin creature and is now a witch."

272727


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Qiang is that famous Asian-style spear with the fluffy red tassel just below the tip.
> 
> Two original characters this chapter: Dzida and Teg. (Fun way to get foreign names? Run a word through Google Translate~)

282828

"Dzida!"

"Right!"

There was an instant commotion and Blair ducked under the Meister and Weapon's overreaction, losing her hat in the process; her light-tipped ears and flexibility as she expertly backflipped away afterward only highlighting her inhumanity.

"Fiend! We'll hear no more of your lies!"

Blair's ears flattened into her hair defensively, claws lengthening in preparation. She gave her response in a feline snarl, the growl vibrating from her chest viably as she bared her teeth and hissed. No queen that wasn't in heat put up with any tom's attitude. She hadn't ever as a cat, like  _hell_  she would as a woman. Her tail-tip flicked warningly against her leg, fluffed up intimidatingly.

"Enough!"

No, it wasn't, because he was still threatening her. "Who do you think you are to stand up to me?"

"Teg, stop it."

"Not a chance." The big buffoon and his spear-partner launched into motion and Blair jumped straight up in the air, mustering the magic within herself to create one of the flying jack o' lanterns she'd favored in her battle with Maka and Soul, rising up out of reach.

But he didn't stop at her: he made a break for the exit of the Death Room and Blair leapt from the gourd to land directly behind him, sending the pumpkin to block his path, "Where do you think you're going?"

He smirked back at her, "You've just said there's a witch on school grounds and it's injured. We're an institute that kills witches, I'm going to do my job."

He swung his weapon partner around, the unusually long blade on the end of the qiang smashing through her pumpkin easily. Blair's heart kicked into overdrive and she slammed her hands onto the ground, recklessly reaching out and grabbing the over-abundance of entropic energy around her and funneling it through her soul, down her arms, and across the floor to spring up as a great barrier across the exit hall. She panted raggedly, feeling torn and raw inside.

Small expenditures of energy, such as changing her form or clothing, could be done with her personal energy, not even needing an incantation, but stronger magics drew on the energy surrounding the user, which needed to be converted into her own before unleashing. The more energy that needed converting, the more time and effort it took, and the longer the incantation had to be to shape the spell. Blair hadn't given the energy she'd ripped from the very air around her enough time for conversion: in her panic, she'd run the smothering power directly through her soul and forced it into the shape she'd wanted, and it had taken its toll directly from her.

She stood up, legs trembling minutely from the shock, "No one... is going anywhere... until I'm satisfied... or dead."

He turned back to her, falling into an aggressive stance, "That works just fine for me."

Blair willed herself to stop shaking, even if she didn't use any magic at all, she  _needed_  to be able to count on her own reflexes. She mustered her powers, already fondling more of the death energy surrounding them, getting it used to her so it wouldn't be so difficult to draw on in a few moments when she needed it, "You're about to go up against a magician so powerful I was mistaken as a witch. Bring it on, little boy."

He ran at her, and Blair dropped down, moving forward in a feline motion to avoid the deadly edge of the spear, forcing it up into the air with a hand on the shaft and spinning around and lashing out with her leg to take her opponent's feet out from under him. Blair only saw the flash of light in her peripheral vision before a foot planted itself in her back and sent her tumbling forward, the Weapon grabbing his partner's hand and using his momentum to spin him around, correcting his stance, before he was once again took the form of a qiang in a second flash of light, leaving Blair's back exposed.

In an instant before the tip of the spear would have found her spine, Blair disappeared, shifting to her cat form and than instantly back to woman, now crouched before her opponent, a smile she hadn't worn since her battle with Maka resting on her lips, one of satisfaction in a threat about to be neutralized. Her hand was held out, the massive amount of energy she'd already gathered making it glow as her enemy couldn't stop his forward movement, his eyes widening, "Pum-pum-pumpkin... Halloween Cannon!" The glowing sphere in her palm transformed into a shining little jack o' lantern, and there was only a moment to see the horror on his face before everything exploded in light and thunder.

The floor shook, the walls of the hall trembled, the barrier she'd placed over the hall flickered with the clash of tumultuous magics, several telephone poles, already askew, collapsed. None of those watching reacted to anything, however, except for the forms sent flying through the air by the blast. Blair flipped around in midair, already summoning a pumpkin to catch her, landing on it on her feet, scuffed and scorched, her right arm particularly burned, but she could still fight, if she had to.

The two male forms, one blond and the other brunet, didn't get away so cleanly, skidding across the ground and leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. Golden eyes narrowed on her opponents. The weapon had transformed back into his human form and taken most of the blow for his partner, clearly unconscious and the back of his clothing burned away, his skin obviously suffering from severe burns. If he didn't get treated, he was going to die from the shock alone, to say nothing of infection or the wounds themselves. The brunet was on his feet again in under a minute, beyond furious if the shaking of his body was any indication, apparently willing to do battle without even a weapon.

Blair tensed, gritting her teeth, canines showing, and began gathering what little energy remained in the room after the massive explosion.

"ENOUGH!" Suddenly she and her opponent both were looking at pitch black scythe blades and a head of red hair.

She didn't particularly like Spirit Albarn. He was fun to tease- like a mouse: prey. But as a man he was too unpredictable, and she didn't know just how far his loyalty to Maka actually went. Would he step up to help protect Patty like Maka would undoubtedly want? If not, she knew his weakness, and being, at heart, a cat, Blair had no issue with fighting naked if it would give her an advantage.

The redhead glared between them and Blair's heart skipped a beat at the authority he wore like a second skin. No, this wasn't Spirit Albarn speaking, it was the leader of Shinigami's own weapons: Death Scythe, "You will show respect for Lord Death by  _not_ fighting in the Death Room!" the redhead turned her way, "Blair, remove that barrier so the medical staff can enter." he turned to the other combatant, "And  _you,_ Teg, will  _cease and desist_. Go with your partner, Lord Death will talk with you later about your actions here."

The brunet scoffed and turned away to attend to his partner as the barrier came down and nurses rushed in. He was silent as they loaded his Weapon partner on a stretcher and carried him out.

"Oh, and one more thing." Cutting blue eyes bored into the other man's back as he stilled, "Keep away from Patty Thompson unless Lord Death specifically gives you permission otherwise." There was a moment of tension, hinting at the easily re-startable violence that had taken place, eased only when he eventually nodded.

The air was tense and silent until they and the medical staff were gone. Blair tried to keep on her guard since she had been accused of greatly displeasing the god of death in his own place of power, but as her adrenalin rush left, she had no more energy to spare and slid to the ground, pumpkin at her back to lean against, focusing on just breathing.

"Now that the excitement is over with, explain yourself, please. What do you mean 'tainted' to a witch?" Golden eyes blinked open to see who spoke. It was the boy with earbuds.

Another blonde, this one a woman with an eyepatch, spoke up, "Yes, wouldn't her sister have been more open to this taint you speak of? Elizabeth was impaled through the shoulder, wasn't she? Her sister was only struck by one of the limbs."

Blair relaxed her shoulders slightly, keeping a wary eye on her audience, "Maybe I used the wrong word. 'Taint' is not exactly correct. Why would Liz be the witch because of a wound? That has nothing to do with how magic works."

"Didn't you say that was how you got your magic?"

She sighed, but honestly was relieved that at least they were making an attempt to understand-- and not attack her again, "You're not listening to me. As you were all so quick to let your fellow point out,  _I am a cat_. I would never have been able to absorb my master's magic had I not had human blood in my veins. Patty has no such restrictions. Her cat himself is magical, and it's prolonged exposure to this that was responsible for priming her. She has spent an inordinate amount of time around magic every day of her life for months, held it to her chest as she slept at night. It's changed her, just as it changed me.

"As for the other part, I'm not certain, because I've never seen it happen before. I can only guess at the specifics."

"Anything is better than nothing. What's your best educated guess?"

The purple-haired woman ran a hand through her scorched hair, thinking things through very carefully, grateful that no one pushed or hurried her, "When a witch dies the final death, her soul returning to the After, her magic, if there is none around capable of bearing it, will disperse into the land. It will gather again and be born into another witch with those aspects the previous one had. A witch cannot have two animal aspects, they would tear her apart. Among witches, this is the natural cycle, and undisrupted as they have no use for each other's souls, only their place of magic and the patterns left behind.

"But when a witch's soul is devoured by one of your kind, you, humans, absorb the magic in their souls. You do not become witches this way, though, something about devouring their souls the way you do subjugates the magic to your Weapon abilities. It's why you have different abilities depending on the witch's soul that makes you a Death Scythe. When one of you dies, that soul and its magic is released to start the cycle again. But those primed by exposure can inherit that magic at the moment it's released.

"I'm more worried about where Pushi got  _his_  magic from. If he were at all like myself, he'd have seen it as it was worked. This whole fiasco wouldn't have happened because he'd have  _known_  how to work the energies. How he has it, but no working knowledge of it... How he looks like a cat but is not one, almost in the way I look like a human but am not one, is what troubles me. That he is  _male_  and has magic troubles me. Even if a male were around magic all his life, it wouldn't be able to change him enough to wield it: there are no male witches. How that Kishin got  _its_  magic troubles me. There is more afoot here than just strange Kishin."

"When you put it like that, that, indeed, is all very concerning. But it fails to address the most immediate issue we face that Teg brought up: we now have a witch in our midst. What do we do with her?"

Blair glared, "Are you stupid? You train her."

"She's a witch, though. You, yourself, said how dangerous they are. A force of nature I believe you called them."

"Have you humans not found ways to harness the power of the wind and the oceans? The power of the heat within the earth? Here you have access to an unprecedented opportunity. A force of nature does not mean a force of evil. Look at what we've done, look at what your own kind are doing. Being human doesn't preclude being evil as the Kishin very well show, having magic doesn't guarantee the one who wields it will go down the wrong path. The danger is there, but the danger is there for everyone." 

"You suggest we keep her?  _Train her?_ A witch in Death Weapon Meister Academy?" He was lucky he asked it sincerely instead of incredulously; her patience was at its limits.

Blair struggled up to her feet and faced them completely, injured, blatantly inhuman and unashamed, "I'm a cat, as half your students are now. That kitten has been loyal to you since she joined this school. What makes her less trust-worthy now? Magic? Lord Death had no issue accepting me with my magic, he let that-" she had to visibly get control of herself, "He let Pushi stay under his own roof though he had to know how strange a creature he was.

"Did we deserve to live? Does Patty deserve to live less?"

282828


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for staying with me this long, and for those new faces. We're finally getting into the big action and that part everyone's been waiting for.
> 
> So, anyone wonder why we spent several chapters in flashback? Or, well, the story-reason? You're about to find out~
> 
> As always, if you have any ideas, don't be afraid to share them. I never would have gotten this far without you all. Your words and praise help inspire me to keep going. Thank you so much. *bows*

292929

Spirit stood over the cot that held his daughter, curled up as small as she could and sheltered in the embrace of her Weapon. The redhead didn't have the levity to worry about a 'boy next to his precious baby girl'. All he saw was the teen that had taken a blow for his daughter, who had protected him in turn, even at the potential loss of her legs. Blair was in cat form and curled up tightly against the small of Maka's back. She opened a single golden eye to look at him, then went back to resting.

Maka shivered and pushed impossibly closer to Soul. Spirit took off his jacket and laid it over the two sleeping teens, then turned to the hospital bed. BlackStar, by dint of unconscious choice or necessity of the narrow berth, lay nearly sprawled across Kid's limp form, apparently protective even in sleep. Not, he thought, unreminiscent of Maka and Soul behind him. The actions of a true Weapon-Meister pair.

The redheaded weapon retreated to the far side of the room so he could watch over them all, where he could watch his daughter sleep, and keep an eye on her from as close as he she would allow him to be. ...Where Maka wouldn't see him immediately if and when she woke up. He leaned his head back against the wall with a sigh, looking longingly at the vacant chair that had probably been where the other Scythe Weapon had held his own vigil before giving in to the need for sleep.

Spirit had always known, in his mind, that they were turning children into soldiers. He hadn't minded so much when he'd been one of those children, but it was different now that he had a child of his own going through the same thing. There was no worse fate for a parent than being forced to bury their child. He had known that, too. But all of the recent events had brought everything so much closer to the surface. He had always believed in Maka, she had her mother's strength, but to see her crying over the death of a friend and not be allowed to comfort her... To see Shinigami contemplating the death of another  _child_ , one he had helped raise himself...

It was one thing to turn their willing students into solders, it was another thing entirely to make war on children. He ran a hand through his hair and stared up at the ceiling, wondering what the ultimate verdict would be now that he'd thrown in his two cents. Would BlackStar be given his freedom? ...Or would Spirit be staging a rebellion from the place that had ultimately been his home since he was a child himself?

* * *

 

_"We will take your words into consideration. Now please leave us be so we may discuss things."_

_Blair gave them all a searing look, but Spirit thought it might have affected him more than the others, before she turned-tail and walked out with all the dignity a cat possessed, even injured and slightly limping. He was honestly surprised she didn't lock them all in with another barrier as she went._

_There was breath of relief when it was just Death Scythes and a few staff members again, "Now, vote on the issue of Patty Thompson."_

_For the first time since these cluster-fuck proceedings had started, Spirit spoke up with something other than 'I abstain': "She's a student. She has always abided by the rules. She received permission for her pet. There is no decision to be made here. Lord Death?"_

_The other Death Scythes stared at him in speechless surprise. For weeks now, the votes had been unbroken down the middle on the matter of BlackStar, and he was choosing to throw around his considerably-weighted opinion about Patty Thompson?_

_The reaper paused, looking thoughtful, then nodded, "It's decided, then~! Patty will remain a student and shall be trained."_

_Spirit let out a relieved breath._ _**And with luck, neither her sister nor Meister will ever know how close she came to death this night.** _

_"Then we are once again brought back to the matter at hand that first called upon us all. Since Death Scythe is now apparently willing to share his estimable opinion, I once again call for a vote on the matter of the student BlackStar, and the question of his guilt in the death of his weapon."_

_Spirit could almost hear the groans everyone didn't dare voice out loud. But there was enough eye-rolling to make a watcher dizzy. There was a despairing, aggravated quality as once again the Death Scythes went around giving their votes._

_"Guilty."_

_"Not guilty."_

_Around they went, and once again they were split cleanly down the middle with Spirit the only one left. Several were leaned back, certain he was about to give the same answer as all the previous times, while some others leaned forward in anticipation._

_"Lord Death."_

_"Yes?"_

_"I am not able to give my vote at this time." no one bothered to silence their groans that time, "I fear that I'm far too biased to look at the situation with neutral eyes." Silence answered his first attempt at some sort of explanation since the proceedings had begun._

_"How so?"_

_"That boy is no older than my daughter. More over, the two are friends, and just this past night it is through BlackStar and Kid's efforts that Maka is alive right now. Those factors play large roles in my inability to view this properly."_

_Always knowing when there were things left unsaid by his Weapons, Shinigami prodded, "And?"_

_"And... Lord Death, I would speak to you of a private matter."_

_"Approach."_

_The others trailed away, giving them privacy, and Spirit stepped closer, staring up into the dark pits that were Death's eyes. He didn't flinch. He, more than any other, knew the thoughts and emotions behind that mask. "Shinigami."_

_"Spirit."_

_"I will not be the one to kill that boy. And should the other Death Scythes have voted to have him executed, the duty would have fallen to me. I have trusted you to put a stop to this, but I see now that you can't, and I see why. You're having the same problem that I am: You're far too involved to be neutral, and you were hoping we would decide for you. We both -we all- know what lies beneath the school, but neither Kid or BlackStar are that. Even if you thought it necessary, you regret that action, and I won't be part of another regret like that._

_"If BlackStar is ordered executed, you may consider it my resignation. I will not kill kids, and I will not make war on children. BlackStar had it right when he turned away from the witch Angela, some lines are not meant to be crossed, and I won't cross this one."_

_The God of Death had not wielded him for years without learning his Weapon's thought process. Spirit had said, as good as in words, that not only would he leave, he'd take Maka, and quite possibly even BlackStar himself and anyone else that wanted to go, with him._

_"This is not something we can decide for you, it's not something we have the_ _**right** _ _to decide for you. It's your right, your obligation -just as it was all those years ago- and it's not right for you to try and lay it at your Weapons' feet. You need to decide, one way or the other, because there are other problems looming on the horizon. That's all I had to say, Lord Death. I will leave you to your thoughts and await your decision." Spirit straightened up, feet together, and bowed, then turned on his heel and left, feeling the weight of the others' eyes upon him._

_Blair waited for him just outside the Death Room, "They are protected. None but you, that insane doctor, and I can get to them. We'll have warning." He nodded and followed her to the room where his daughter slept._

* * *

 

"...P-Papa?"

Spirit was straightened up in an instant and by his little girl's side the next, "Hey, Sweetheart."

Maka yawned, "What are you doing here?"

He took a the time to savor the moment, for ones like it were so rare. Those few minutes when Maka first woke up, when she was sleepy still and not quite aware, before her forest green eyes hardened to unforgiving emerald. ...Before she remembered that she hated him. "Just watching over my little angel."

Maka let him reach forward and push her hair out of her face, even gracing him with a smile, before burrowing back into the warmth between her Weapon and make-shift blanket. Then her eyes snapped open and she sat straight up.

"Argh! Maka! Fuck!"

Between Maka using his stomach to push herself upright and Blair -sharp claws extended- sliding against his side at the absence of the young blonde, Soul could probably count that as one of his worst wake-up calls ever. Maka snatched her hand back, holding it in front of her mouth, "Sorry! Oh, Soul, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. ...Worse."

The white-haired teen waved off her apology with a groan, "No, no, it's fine. I mean, it's not like you ran over my foot no less than six times yesterday, or rammed those hellish wheels back into my shins or anything. Really, I should have expected the assaults to keep on rising. I'm just thankful you skipped damaging the really important bits."

She rolled her eyes, "The day is young and I've been on a roll. Don't count me out yet."

Soul looked down at his side, "And feel free to stop using me as a pin-cushion any time, really."

Blair, with all the dignity she could muster at being frightened awake, detached herself and jumped to the foot of the bed.

"Will you two please shut up? I'm trying to sleep here."

Maka jerked and looked around, "Oh, sorry, Liz, did we wake you?"

"Gee, no, I just thought 'you know what sounds good? Shouting for silence in a quiet room'."

"She already said sorry." Soul snapped.

Liz sighed and sat up, "Yeah. You think I'd be used to noise by now. Hey, are Patty and her cat back yet?"

"They are now." Everyone looked over at the doorway where Patty was nearly asleep on her feet, hugging Pushi -now dressed- by the arm. She made her way to Liz's cot and laid down with the cat-boy. The tabby-striped brunette curled up at her feet and Patty sleepily hugged her sister's leg, using it as a pillow.

Said sister just rolled her eyes and laid on her stomach so she could still talk to the others, "So how did the check-up go?'

Stein looked up and adjusted the bolt in his head, "She has ears and the tail, and claws. She may show other feline characteristics, such as the need to clean or groom. But otherwise, she's perfectly healthy." he shared a look with Spirit and the redhead nodded. Perfectly healthy for a young witch.

Liz snorted, "Patty, cleaning? That's something I'll need to see to believe." She hesitated for a moment, then motioned with her head to the two lying on the berth, "What about them?"

Stein pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lighting up two and then handing Spirit one, "I checked Kid first thing. I haven't had the chance to see to BlackStar yet, but I will when they wake up in the morning."

Maka glanced over at them, "...Are you sure they  _will_  wake up in the morning? Isn't it unnatural for them to have slept so much as it is?"

Liz looked at them, then back at Maka, "I don't think so. I mean, it's normal, right?" She turned to Stein for the answer to that last bit.

The stitched man took a puff from his cigarette, "From what I've been told about them, I estimate that they'll wake up then, yes."

Green eyes glanced between them in confusion, "I don't understand. What am I missing?"

Liz smacked her head, "I forgot it wasn't common knowledge. When you and Soul first  _really_  Resonated, did you have strange dreams that night. Like, flashes about meeting?"

The two looked at each other then back at her and nodded, "What about it?"

"Patty and I got this lecture when we first arrived before they let Kid try wielding us. You know how the first Weapon or Meister you meet is generally here? I mean, neither of you two ever met anyone like you before coming here, right?" she glanced at Spirit, "...Parents notwithstanding."

"Yeah...?"

"So normally it isn't even an issue. If you can't resonate with someone, they get burned, move on to another partner, etcetera. But when a Weapon and Meister know each other for a long time before ever resonating, it can cause these... blackouts. When normal partners resonate their souls, it's a... binding... thing." she waved her hand around vaguely, "You know what I mean: it's hard to put into words. Anyway, when they sleep and dream, they'll resonate subconsciously, and see when they met and, depending how long they've known each other, maybe another important moment or two before reliving that moment of resonance."

Soul was the one who spoke up, "So then what's wrong with them?"

"I'm getting to that. When two people know each other for a long time before that resonance, they remember nearly everything."

"Like...  _everything_ -everything?"

"What part of 'everything' did you find confusing, exactly? Yes,  _'everything-_ everything'. Or at least all the important bits, the parts that brought them... closer. Closer to each other, and closer to that first resonance. Some experience it all the way up to that, but most of them only get those flashes right up until the... I forget exactly what it was called."

Stein cut in, "Precipice Moment."

Liz nodded, "Yeah, that. It's basically the first time they both thought 'I need you'. For normal partners, that's the time when the first resonance happens. For casual acquaintances and friends, too, but with a relationship as close as those two have... Well, Professor Stein already said he thinks they'll wake up in the morning."

Maka nodded while Soul still looked to be taking it in, "How did you come to know about this?"

"No one was really sure what exactly would happen when Kid resonated with me and Patty. We'd known each other our whole lives, of course, and we'd wielded each other before, but no one was quite certain what would happen with Kid thrown into the equation. If he'd live out our lives with both of us until the 'Precipice Moment' or if it would be the short flashes most have, or even if he'd only have the flashes while Patty and I relived our whole lives. So we all got sat down and given the lecture."

"So there's nothing we can do except wait?"

"That's what I've heard."

The children huffed, and Stein drew Spirit away, "Lord Death has a message for you. He says he'll make his decision by morning."

Spirit tensed, snuffing out the butt of his cigarette on the floor with no concernwhatsoever for the flooring. He looked over at the children being distracted by Blair, Liz running her fingers through her sister's hair, Maka leaned against Soul's shoulder for support, and all of them glancing toward Kid and BlackStar. "What are we going to do, Stein?"  _How are we going to protect them?_

The gray-haired Meister breathed out a cloud of nicotine smoke, "Same as them: We wait."  _And, if necessary, we fight._

292929


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had really big plans this week. I wanted to get completely finished with DeathStar's flashbacks so we could move on. Thus the big plans: I wanted to do a super-long, double-chapter as a special thing for the big 3-0.
> 
> But then Life, as per usual, decided to make me its bitch. Not even two complete paragraphs into Part two, and my computer freezes- HARD. Had to do a hard reset (thankfully saved), which took a half hour.
> 
> Walked away for a bit, came back, and tried again. Barely got anything started, and, instead of just freezing, I got to experience for the second time in my life (and the month) The Blue Screen of Death.
> 
> Okay, Universe, I can take a hint! Once is chance, twice- in and HOUR? I get the message!
> 
> Turns out it wasn't just DeathStar's karma, my computer's crashed no less than twelve times in the past three days. I don't know if I'll even be able to write next week's chapter. Please have mercy on me.

303030

_Acceptance: it wasn't a decision one made, a switch that a person could flick -as they both discovered- it just didn't work like that. They didn't just suddenly_ _**not** _ _find each other annoying because they'd decided it. BlackStar's raving about his goals and greatness didn't suddenly become easier to listen to, and Kid's absolute drive to make camp perfectly symmetrical wasn't any easier to watch- less so, since BlackStar was confined to said clearing while injured and couldn't walk away to take a break from him, and Kid felt he couldn't leave in case something happened and BlackStar wouldn't be able to get away without help._

_Tolerance was a continuous action, a subset of self-control: holding oneself back everytime they felt like lashing out, looking away instead of starting a staring contest, biting one's tongue instead of snarking. It was_ _**hard** _ _, hard to hold back like that, to not make a snide remark about BlackStar's vocabulary or Kid's restlessness and housewifery. But at the same time... it was also... relieving. The clearing they'd made their camp was the closest thing they had to a home at the time, and the atmosphere was more awkward with suddenly-dropped topics and odd pauses in conversations, but at the same time it was less tense: they were no longer hunching their shoulders every time they each opened their mouths, waiting for the war of words to start up again. Somehow, they made it work._

* * *

_Kid avoided looking at BlackStar as he picked up every sliver of wood that could even glancingly call itself a twig from the area around the camp and the clearing itself, stacking it in two perfectly equal piles on opposite sides of the fire pit, every stone and pebble making its way into the circle around the fire itself. It wasn't that he was avoiding thinking, on the contrary, making things symmetrical helped him think. Unfortunately, at the moment, all he could think about was how his obsession with it had almost -still could, if he were honest- cost BlackStar his life. BlackStar had_ _**needed** _ _him, and he'd been absolutely worthless. Someone had almost_ _**died** _ _._ _**He** _ _had almost died, all because of an ill-timed wardrobe malfunction._

_Symmetry meant everything to him. That was what he'd always maintained. Mourned constantly over his own hideous lack of symmetry. But was it worth_ _**lives** _ _? Would he have been satisfied to find his cufflink -assuming he even managed to craft a way to reattach it to his outfit- only to turn around and find BlackStar had died in the effort to protect him while he'd been unaware? Would he have been undaunted to find he'd died for the questionably-worthy cause of maintaining symmetry? Just the question was enough to leave a bitter taste coating his tongue, because Kid couldn't honestly guess at exactly what he'd have thought without the talk he'd had with BlackStar last night._

_That worried him. Disgusted him. He didn't want to be like that, he didn't want to value an idea more than people's lives. He never wanted to be that kind of person. BlackStar cherished the lives of people who hated him, and Kid couldn't say if he'd have been able to do the same before yesterday. It galled him that apparently, that same limitation wasn't one his father shared. How could Shinigami even think of killing a boy he considered his own son? It just- defied everything Kid had thought about his father._

_He glanced over to where the blue-haired boy was resting, dozing on and off in a healing stupor. Kid was thankful, at least BlackStar wasn't awake for the pain that had kicked in quite thoroughly overnight and with the addition of burns to his previous wounds. Even his slumbering expression was pinched._

_Kid's fingers clenched around the sticks in his hands. He felt so ineffectual and utterly useless. He knew that aloe could help soothe burns, but he hadn't the foggiest clue what it looked like even if he stumbled upon an entire grove of it. He_ _**hated** _ _feeling like this. What the hell use was he out here? None of his book-knowledge was doing a thing for either of them. BlackStar had already saved his life how many times now? The only bit of wisdom Kid had been able to contribute thus far was the need to boil water if they didn't want to get sick. He just didn't know- didn't know_ _**enough** _ _to do any good. 'Oh, you're wounded and in pain? Here, let me make it so excruciating you pass out and can't move for days.'_

_He snorted._ _**Some god I am.** _ _Kid let the wood fall from his arms in disgust and sank to the ground, thoughtlessly rearranging the twigs into small, even piles, sticking some upright in the soft earth. He huffed and started arranging the sticks into a tiny shelter that wouldn't be able to hold anything bigger than, say, a hamster, distracting himself. His fingers froze picking up the next twig, then looked back over at where BlackStar lay. Out in the sun, exposed, now lacking even a shirt. The sun hadn't been up long, but how much longer before it began beating down relentlessly? And it wasn't like BlackStar could_ _**move** _ _into the shade to get out of the sun. That would require getting him up, managing to dig another shallow trench farther away from the fire pit, then moving all the leaves and soft brush from one spot to the other while somehow keeping BlackStar up-right. It would never work. And in the end it'd have to be completely undone come nightfall so the blue haired boy was back near the warmth of the fire again._

_Kid looked more searchingly at his little mouse-house, then back over to where the other boy rested. BlackStar's weapons were set near the fire since he no longer had a top to hide them in, and Kid recalled quite clearly how efficiently those knives had gone through wood that BlackStar had turned into a fishing spear. What exactly were the manners for touching someone's weapon when it wasn't a Weapon? Kid didn't know, but he didn't want to wake BlackStar up just to bother him, he was doubtlessly in enough pain as it was. He walked over- having learned BlackStar slept just fine so long as one made noise and didn't_ _**try** _ _to be quiet, and picked one of the bigger blades that fit his palm and still gave him leverage. He hefted the knife, though having neither the skill nor confidence to try slinging it or flipping it around the way BlackStar excelled at, and went to put his plan into action._

* * *

_BlackStar woke to a leafy canopy overhead... Then blinked verdant green eyes and looked up as far as he could tilt his head back, because he had most certainly_ _**not** _ _gone to sleep under any trees. "What?" He looked around to spot Kid- or rather, his foot._

_A black-topped head leaned over and came into view, "Oh, you're up?"_

_"What did you do?"_

_The shinigami's cheeks were pink, partially probably from sunburn, and part blush, "You couldn't move into the shade so I... made some shade."_

_BlackStar didn't know how to comment on that. The construction looked sturdy enough, it didn't seem likely to fall on him. But he didn't have words to ask why Kid had done it without it sounding suspicious, and he didn't know how to tell him he'd done well. "...Is it symmetrical?"_

_Kid looked offended by the very idea something he made wouldn't meet up to his own exacting standards, "But of course!"_

_BlackStar shook his head at the pride in the death god's voice, his stance, his face- he actually didn't look like such a prat sometimes. ...Or maybe his fever was getting to him. "Hey, Kid."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Uh, th-thanks."_

_Kid's expression dropped, "Don't thank me for this. We have to work together if we want to survive." that's what his lips said, anyway. BlackStar saw the hunch of his shoulders and how he looked away. Like it or not, he was beginning to be able to read the other boy, and all of those cues told him that the other still felt guilty._

_He adjusted his shoulders, extremely careful of how he moved because -boy- he thought the initial attack and getting his top off might have been the least painful parts of the whole thing. BlackStar needed something to take his mind off his throbbing back that burned in more ways than one, and on something else, "So you've been over here just leisurely making a piece of symmetrical art all morning and just let the rest of the clearing go to asymmetry hell? Kid, how could you?"_

_Golden eyes blinked at him disbelievingly, and then Kid seemed to catch on that he'd been telling a joke when he smiled. The death god smiled back, small and hesitant, but it was there, and he cleared his throat, "Yes, well, I've been reassessing my priorities." BlackStar was left the one staring blankly until Kid translated himself at the look: "I've been rethinking what's really important."_

_"Clothes drop a couple places?"_

_"Something like that."_

_BlackStar nodded, "Good."_

* * *

_BlackStar watched the shinigami working at clearing the camp again- still: always. There wasn't a moment when the other boy was in the clearing -barring anything more pressing- that he wasn't straightening up. And BlackStar, unable to move much, had his choices split between sleeping, meditating, watching Kid, or thinking. The first two helped the most with his pain, but there was only so long someone could stare at the backs of their eyelids without loosing their ever loving mind._

_BlackStar was no stranger to pain. He'd walk on a sprained ankle if he had to- not ashamed of tears and snot running down his face, either. But this was a whole other level of danger he'd never faced before, and thinking seemed better and better an option. Watching Kid was fun, too. He kept moving back and forth and back and forth..._

_It was watching this, with his head swimming, that BlackStar came to a life-altering revelation. He could hardly believe what he'd just realized, and he'd have staggered under the dizziness it caused if he wasn't already flat on the ground._

_"You hate symmetry."_

_Kid jumped and looked over at him in surprise- probably thought he'd been sleeping. Then his forehead scrunched in that way BlackStar was coming to learn meant he didn't understand, "What? BlackStar, how could you even think like that?"_

_But he refused to drop it, "You hate symmetry..."_

_Kid frowned and put down the stuff in his arms- not noticing or caring it wasn't placed symmetrically to the rest of the clearing- and approached BlackStar's little hut, ducking inside to kneel next to him. A cool hand was placed against his forehead and BlackStar almost moaned, "Your fever is back, and higher than ever. I think you're delirious, BlackStar."_

_"Jus' Star if you want."_

_"Definitely delirious."_

_" 'M not. You..." He tried to get his swimming thoughts in order. He had to say this in a way Kid could understand, it seemed really important. "You... hate symmetry. It makes you nervous, twitchy..." he searched for a better word. He knew he knew it. It was there somewhere..._

_"Anxious?"_

_"Yeah, that. The thought of it possibly getting out of place sends you into fits. But you like_ _**fixing it** _ _. You like asymmetry, because that means you get to straighten it all up, but the thought of it getting messed up after you fix it bothers you. You like planning it out, how it will all be when you've got it done, but it upsets you when you think about it being undone. You. Hate. Symmetry. You like asymmetry because it lets you_ _**make** _ _symmetry, but the symmetry bothers you."_

_Kid froze in place, then poured some of their water onto a spare 'bandage' and put the freezing thing on BlackStar's forehead, "Rest now. Your fever is bad. I'm going to get more water."_

_BlackStar didn't snap at him, didn't yell at him that he was being a coward to avoid a subject just because it made him uncomfortable. He huffed, turned his head so he could watch the shadows inch across the camp as the fled from the sun, and maintained the peace of silence._

* * *

_BlackStar tossed and turned in the grip of his fever, seeing things and talking to people who weren't there. Kid watched over him, worried, but unable to do more than wet cloth for him in an attempt to bring down his temperature. It was hard to keep the other boy's brow cooled without setting him on his injured back._

_Kid sat back on his heels, worrying at his lip as he carefully changed Star's bandages. He didn't understand it. The wounds seemed to be healing. Slowly: some still bled, but none of them looked particularly inflamed or as if they were infected. But still the fever raged on. He cursed his father as he applied the new bandages. Neither of them knew what the hell they were doing out here._

_The blue haired boy began tossing and turning, trying to go- somewhere, his muttered words not making any sense. Kid managed to calm him down somewhat by talking to him- nonsense words about his utterly boring trip to get water earlier and how he'd caught dinner and damn he was rather getting tired of the taste of fish, wasn't he as well? BlackStar finally settled down from the round of delirious thrashing as Kid ran his fingers through the blue spikes._

_He looked around their 'home', searching the clearing for something out of place that he could fix. More firewood he could gather, more water he could fetch, more sticks to make more fishing spears. Maybe he could sharpen the knife he'd used in the making of those spears. Anything to keep busy, anything to keep from thinking about how hopeless this whole thing was. ...How helpless he felt in the face of BlackStar's sickness when Star had been so capable when helping Kid with his own problems._

_But nothing needed done. They had more than enough firewood, he'd already filled every possible and make-shift container with water that he could, had an armory of sticks and spears leaned against a tree on opposite ends of the camp. And he didn't know exactly_ _**how** _ _to sharpen a knife anyway, and he may have been desperate, but he wasn't going to risk ruining the only bladed instrument he had at the moment. He was left alone with Star's unconscious form and his own thoughts._

_As much as Kid didn't want to think about what the blue haired boy had said before, the only other thing he could think about would be their situation and he wasn't quite willing to give into despair yet._

_But to think, him, Death the Kid, hating symmetry? He loved the feeling of creating that perfect balance. It was- He blinked. It was things getting out of alignment that set him off, for about a minute. And then he went right back to setting them perfect again. Okay, so maybe, possibly, BlackStar might have been on to something there. But it wasn't like he could just not focus on a specific part of his OCD that he found inconvenient- if only!_

_He hadn't even considered it a problem until he'd come here, until he'd seen just how extreme his own reactions were, and how much they could cost. Kid looked around the clearing again, assessing, then grimaced at what he noticed. When he'd built the shade-hut for BlackStar without building one over his own sleeping place, he'd changed the entire lay-out of the camp to compensate for it. Before, their beds had faced opposite directions and he'd set everything up according to that layout to maintain perfect symmetry. When that had changed, he'd reorganized everything._

_He'd slowly shifted BlackStar's sleeping place around so that it lay perfectly in the middle below the leaf-roof overhead, head closer to the fire -he'd originally thought for warmth and so BlackStar wouldn't have to reach far for food or water he'd left while out of camp- then moved his own the same way, making their beds the new centerline for the camp, and then shifting all their stuff until it was split exactly on either side of that new centerline. All his fussing and fidgeting around camp to keep his thoughts occupied away from how helpless he was... only to see how helpless he was to his own mind as well._

_The tightness that had felt like it was squishing his ribcage released itself, but the sinking in his stomach wasn't a relief. He was pulled from his dark thoughts by BlackStar trying to roll over. He murmured softly and went back to petting the spiky locks until BlackStar settled down. Kid took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. Then he smiled and shook his head._ _**You wouldn't worry about these things at all, would you? You'd call it stupid. And maybe I am as well, to keep thinking about it so much.** _

_Kid didn't even know how he knew that about BlackStar. The other must have been wearing off on him. He tilted his head for a moment, then relaxed. Well, there were certainly worse things._

_303030_


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is~: Last flashback chapter as promised, and double the length for not being able to post last week. I really like how this one turned out and I hope you do as well. *bows*
> 
> This will be the last chapter for a little while. While my computer has been mostly behaving this week, I've caught a bad cold and won't be in any condition to write for a bit.
> 
> Cheers for the longest chapter for DeathStar to date. Happy Easter, everybody~!

_313131_

_Their being out in the open had steadily been making him more and more jittery. The clearing wasn't really the best place for a permanent camp. It was open to the sky, which while nice, provided exactly no shelter from storms or other weather. The ground was dirt with very little grass- perfect for two boys getting the hang of starting fires, but the moment they got any rain the whole area would turn into a swamp._

_There was nothing Kid could do about it, though. Even if -_ _**when** _ _, he scolded himself- when BlackStar's fever broke, he still wouldn't be in any shape to move. He would still be at grave risk of his wounds getting infected until they healed over completely. There was nothing he could do except wait and worry._

_Kid didn't remember falling asleep, but he was certainly aware of waking up to the sound of growling, to the feeling of threat raising the hairs on the back of his neck. He looked up to see a dark-furred wolf prowling into the clearing, skinny and, if the foam around its mouth was any indication, utterly rabid. If he'd been able to, he'd have grabbed BlackStar and run, leaping for the trees at the first chance. But he didn't have the leg strength, nor the experience, to try something like that as BlackStar would. And he was also fairly sure that the animal would attack at the first sudden move._

_Kid glanced at the blue-haired boy without moving, silently praying he wouldn't go into a fever-induced thrashing fit. His hand crept past the sleeping boy, grabbing the kunai he'd been using around camp. BlackStar had saved him from his own stupidity and a bear both, surely he could return the favor against one scraggly wolf._

_He felt his shoulders tensing, realizing that unlike when Star had fought the bear, he -they, the both of them- could_ _**not** _ _afford to get bitten by that thing. There would be no worry over fever or infection: given rabies and no treatment out here, there would be no other option, they would die. Painfully._

_It was probably BlackStar's thrashing or cries that had drawn the thing. Hunters always did go for the weak or infirm first. Maybe whatever cognitive functions the thing still possessed had brought it to them in search of prey. Kid's fingers tightened around the handle of the knife as he slowly stood up, it would find no prey here._

_It growled louder and fell back into a pouncing position. Kid raised the blade, standing in front of the small make-shift shade-hut, thinking quickly. Right now, he posed the biggest threat. If he attacked, the wolf would most likely go after him. At that point..._

_**At that point, at least BlackStar will be safe.** _

_There was no hesitation between thought and action once he'd made his decision: Kid launched himself forward at his enemy. The wolf did likewise, lunging for him. The shinigami jumped over the animal, twisting as he went and slicing down the creature's back even as it raised its head and attempted several times to snap at him. He landed on his feet behind the wolf, facing it, and immediately hopped back several paces in a way he had seen BlackStar use, the wild thing turning about quicker than he expected and nearly landing a bite._

_There was no warning as it leapt for him again and Kid dove to the side. The wolf, despite its emaciation, was nearly as big as he was, and far faster than he'd initially given it credit for. He threw himself forward to gain momentum and get his feet back under him. If he lost his footing and went down, it'd be over, he'd never be a match for that thing's speed off his feet._

_He spun as he got one foot back in contact with the ground, his shoe lashing out hard against the beast's face as the kick brought him back around to standing. The yelp was high-pitched and brief before it went back to snarling at him. Kid wondered if he hadn't kicked too hard: it felt like something had given way under his assault, but the enraged animal showed no sign of injury- or at least no sign of caring for an injury if it had one. Even the slash down its back didn't seem to bother it._

_Kid backed up several steps, wondering just how far the virus had spread for the wolf to have so few self-preservation instincts left intact. But it settled one matter: the creature wasn't leaving if he just hurt it or frightened it enough like BlackStar had managed with the bear, the wolf was going to kill them or die trying._

_He kept his stance loose so he could dodge, and the wolf obliged by coming after him again, Kid side-stepped and turned so it sailed past, its open flank sparking him to lash out with the blade again. But as soon as the metal bit into the canine's side its head turned and Kid just barely managed to pull back in time, part of his sleeve caught and tearing in the creature's jaws, and his knife still caught in its side._

_He stumbled back even as the wild animal turned around and launched for him. The shinigami fell to the ground and flattened himself as it flew overhead, pushing forward before it even completed its move, running for the treeline to gain some ground and distance. There was only a second of hesitation before it was hot on his heels._

_Kid panted as he ran. He'd injured it several times, now if he could just run it down... Even better if the motion jostled the kunai from its side, it'd bleed out far quicker. All he had to do was keep ahead of it and let it run itself out._

_As soon as he reached the treeline, he moved behind the closest one, the wolf quick behind him and just as swift to change direction. Kid, careful to keep track of where he placed his feet so he didn't trip himself on a root in a moment of tragic irony, jumped back and hid behind another tree and another, then another after that one. The twisting and lunging did indeed cause the knife to dislodge from the crazed animal's flank and fall to the ground, the trail of blood the beast left behind and below itself with every action growing._

_BlackStar had made it look almost easy when he'd done it, but the underbrush and tangle of roots was far harder to navigate safely than Kid had expected, and there were several close calls as he tried to escape. He was thankful his clothing had been roughened over the course of their exile, it tore easily in the jaws of the savage wolf instead of becoming a dangerous leash for it to get a bite on him. And there was a disorienting moment when he got just a little too far ahead and misguessed what side of the tree his adversary would round._

_The forest muffled sound more than he thought and it was through sheer luck and instinct that the jaws aimed for his throat missed by a narrow margin as he dropped to the forest floor, his attacker yelping as it landed in some bushes just beyond him. Kid scrambled up, then took the time to climb up the tree in question, panting harshly as he tried to catch his breath. The wolf was back not a few heartbeats after he settled himself on a branch above the creature's reach. If that thing stood on its hind legs, it would be taller than him by over a foot._

_It noticed him up in the branches and, shattering all of Kid's expectations, lunged for him. Before he could think about it, Kid jumped to the next tree, the deranged animal still giving chase. His heart threatened to strangle him from its position in his throat as he moved from branch to branch, tree to tree. What_ _**was** _ _that thing?! Surely it_ _**had** _ _to be wearing down._

_Kid almost found himself falling to the ground when there were no more trees to jump to in front of him, and he cursed himself for a fool. He'd led the beast straight back to the clearing. He leaned back against the trunk and gasped for breath. The wolf was slower now, at least. It panted heavily as well, sniffing around the base of the tree. The shinigami had,_ _**maybe** _ _, seconds to act before the thing noticed BlackStar again._

_Kid took a deep breath, held it, then jumped down from the tree, the savage sound of the_ _**crack** _ _echoing through his entire being and making him grimace. There was no other outcome possible: the feral animal's spine snapped cleanly under his assault, and Kid rolled away just in case._

_He needn't have: he could_ _**feel it** _ _, not just the snapping of bone; as a god of death, Kid felt it as the wolf's lifeforce left its body. At that moment, there was no room for anything else in him except for relief of the chase being over and he collapsed back, trying to regulate his breathing. The energy of death filled him, helped restore his own, and Kid sat up, watching the body of the once-crazed animal with dull gold eyes. He crept forward and placed a hand against the over-heated, dirty, blood-matted side, and bowed his head, "And return as we must, we are ashes to dust. Amen."_

_He felt different the- at peace, maybe? Kid sat back on his haunches, then shook his head and stood. He didn't have time for this, he had to get back and check on BlackStar. He would deal with the body later._

_Kid was startled to look over at BlackStar only to see bright green eyes staring back at him unflinchingly. He wanted to look away, to feel ashamed, to apologize for killing something in front of him. Killing and feeling... whatever it was he'd felt, for reminding the other boy that that wolf could so easily be him in front of Kid's father. But BlackStar spoke before he could do or say anything, "In the moment that one thing ends is same time that one begins." Then the blue-haired boy's eyes slipped closed again as sleep pulled him back under._

_Kid sat down beside him carefully, holding his unbloody hand over the other for a moment, hesitating, before running it through the blue spikes and resting it against BlackStar's forehead. Kid slumped down over the other boy's form, shaking with too many turbulent emotions to work through at that moment. BlackStar's fever had broken. He was getting better._

* * *

_As BlackStar got better, his wounds closing at a good rate -but, Kid warned him, still not enough for him to go tumbling around in his usual antics- they spoke more often. There was less tension. Something had changed, but Kid couldn't have said what. Maybe it was that he didn't feel quite so helpless or useless anymore, or maybe that their truce had stretched further into peace; their conditioning themselves to keep silent on the little things that annoyed them becoming more natural and instinctive so they didn't have to always think about it. Maybe it was BlackStar seeing Kid as himself and accepting him for who he was, not 'Death the Kid, child of Shinigami and future God of Death', just... just 'Kid'. Maybe it was all those things, or maybe none of them, but things just felt... easier._

_He looked up in surprise as a drop of rain landed on his nose, the clouds dark overhead. At first it didn't seem like it would be any trouble: they had gotten sprinklings before, but no true storms so far. He was quickly disabused of the notion as more and more raindrops joined the first one. It was BlackStar's voice that snapped him out of the disbelieving daze, "Dammit, save the food!"_

_Kid grabbed the fish from the soon-to-be-waterlogged fire. They were done anyway, but BlackStar had sort of gotten Kid rather addicted to the taste of burnt fish. It was an acquired taste. He handed the blue-haired boy his share before looking around for shelter from the rain._

_BlackStar huffed and Kid let out a rather undignified yelp as he was pulled down into the little shade-hut. He'd built it just big enough to cover BlackStar when he laid down, which, he discovered, made it just barely big enough for the both of them to huddle under if they sat with their knees drawn to their chests. The blue-haired boy snorted as he dug into his dinner, "Idiot." the word held none of the venom it had once upon a time, and maybe even a hint of affection, "For such a smartass you can sure be stupid sometimes. Like I'm gonna just let you sit out in the rain when the only shelter I've got is because you built it in the first place."_

_Kid couldn't help smiling as BlackStar continued grumbling. He really did think of the little hut as BlackStar's, and never had gotten around to building one for himself; if he wanted to sit in the shade, he just plopped himself under the nearest tree. They watched together as the sky completely darkened and the rain really started coming down, forming a curtain of water between them and the rest of the camp. Kid was thankful he'd been so thorough when he'd constructed the little hut's roof- he'd done it more to be absolutely symmetrical, but it had served to make it both sunproof and waterproof._

_The world beyond the walless hutch became a gray shadow land hidden by the falling rain. Kid couldn't even see his own sleeping place, but it was a fair bet he'd need to make a new one after his was turned into leaf-soup by the storm. The fireplace was barely visible, he'd probably have to make another one of those, too. The silence between them was comfortable as they both picked at their meals until there was nothing but bones left, tossing them out and pulling their legs closer to conserve heat._

_BlackStar toyed with the last of the fishbones, turning it about in his fingers and staring at it, "You know, I first learned about death through fish."_

_Kid tensed up before forcing himself to relax. They hadn't really talked about the wolf since that day, and he'd wondered if BlackStar had even remembered what he'd said then. Kid certainly hadn't forgotten, he didn't think he could. But it still made him uncomfortable, and the more time between the incident and himself the better. Seemed his luck had run out on that front, and he forced himself to answer, "Oh?"_

_BlackStar hummed, "I'd always_ _**known** _ _about... you know. But I didn't always understand. Sid took me camping when I was really little, taught me all that stuff I showed you; about fire and everything. We were fishing- actual fishing, with a pole and stuff, not spear-fishing, and it was the first time it wasn't catch and release. We were catching food to eat. I pulled this fish up on shore, pretty big; you know, compared to me. And I was proud, showed it off and got the hook out all by myself, but when I went to throw it back, Sid stopped me- because it'd be hard to eat then, obviously. And I just kind of shrugged and dropped it on the ground far enough away from the water that it wouldn't manage to get itself back into the stream. But I couldn't stop watching it as it flopped around. It seemed very funny at the time, until it stopped flopping. And I watched it lay there, little mouth opening and closing, tail sometimes trying to flop again, until it was just- just still._

_"I understood then, what death was. It was really the perfect way to teach me about it; hard to find a more powerful image of death than a fish flopping, and then_ _**not** _ _flopping."_

_Kid swallowed and stared down at his knees, "Sorry."_

_BlackStar shook his head, "Nah, don't be. It still didn't scare me, even back then. In fact, I think I spooked the fuck out of Sid, because I knew, and I asked him, that was going to be me, wasn't it? I was going to be that fish someday, wasn't I? And he just gave me this look- yeah, kind of like that one you have right now." the blue-haired boy smiled at him, "Don't give me that look. I didn't tell you that to get the pity-eyes."_

_Kid looked away again, uncertain what exactly his expression looked like and not sure how to modify it, "So why did you tell me?"_

_The other shrugged, "I dunno. Just, death doesn't bother me._ _**You** _ _don't bother me. So you shouldn't let it bother you, either. It's who you are, right?"_

_"It's just- it's not that simple. I see all these people, other kids, or my tutors, and the way they look at me..."_

_BlackStar bumped shoulders with him, "To hell with all of 'em. What do they know? Besides, that wasn't all I learned that trip."_

_Kid looked back up at him curiously, not needing to force his response that time, "Oh?"_

_"Sid took me to see spawning. I don't remember the kind of fish, but I remember all of the fish dying afterward. And I got it, then. The fish that we ate that let us live, the fish that all died to have more fish, it's all part of the same big circle. Death is just a part of life, and there wouldn't be any life without death."_

_The words stuck with Kid, but he'd need time to think on them. So instead he changed the subject and smiled -if a little strained- "Then here's to hoping we don't become part of that circle before we get out of here." BlackStar smirked back at him, but they were quiet after that, pressed together for warmth as they watched the rain pour down beyond their little shelter._

* * *

_BlackStar stopped on his next branch, leaves already beginning to turn fall colors rattling slightly because of it, and stared up contemplatively. When Kid noticed he wasn't keeping up he almost fell out of his own tree, still not used to traveling up in the canopy as BlackStar was teaching him. With a little struggle because of his lost momentum, he made his way back to where the other had stopped, "Something wrong?"_

_Star looked at him, then at his burden, "I," he stated blandly, "am carrying rocks."_

_Kid smirked, "Took you how long to figure it out?"_

_Green eyes glared at him, "Shut up. Why am I carrying rocks?"_

_"...Because it beats trying to find or peck out new bowls from bigger rocks when we find a new camp site? Because you are 'BlackStar the Great and Powerful'?"_

_Sun-tanned cheeks darkened and Kid doubtlessly would have been pushed out of his tree if he'd been within arm's reach, "Just shut it, would ya?"_

_Kid ignored him and went on, smirk only getting wider, "Because 'Yahhoo! I'm so sick of lying around and I can do anything!'?"_

_BlackStar had obviously had quite enough and in a flash had one of his kunai thunking into the trunk just beside the shinigami's head. Kid calmly pulled it out and sent it back- with less grace but no less accuracy, and BlackStar caught it between two fingers in front of his face, "You're such a dick."_

_"Maybe." Kid said airily, "But at least I'm not carrying rocks."_

_BlackStar opened his mouth, paused, and closed it again without saying anything. He hefted his burden higher and took off again with a huff. Even putting up with Kid, even carrying rocks, it was nice to be moving under his own power again. He could move and stretch, jump and bend, and finally,_ _**finally** _ _, not have to worry about wounds reopening. It had taken so long for his injuries to heal, it was freedom in its greatest form to be moving through the trees like he was._

_He'd wound up spending most of his infirm time teaching Kid about throwing knives and how to treat them. When the other boy got frustrated enough, they switched to BlackStar learning to cook, create shelters like the one Kid had crafted for him, and identifying the edible plants Kid had discovered. They'd only gone to sleep with stomach pains three times- he considered that a win. Neither of them were interested in learning each other's martial arts styles. Friends they might have become, but there were some lines they just weren't going to cross._

_BlackStar had been chomping at the bit for what seemed like forever before Kid finally declared him 'pretty much healed... I think? Not likely to bleed to death at any rate'. He'd immediately started a new game for them: blade-tag. He hadn't realized how rusty his skills had gotten while he was healing, but with Kid there, they'd both gotten up to par rather quickly. Now they could both hit moving targets- including each other, which is where the 'catching things flying at me' training came in. They had both come away with new scars._

_He smiled. It was pretty hard to be mad with each other when they helped one another get back to the camp, though. But with autumn pressing on them, Kid was becoming more and more determined they find a suitable camp to weather over the winter, assuming they were here that long. ...Kid and Star had both pretty much given up on getting rescued anytime soon._

_BlackStar's arm shot out to stop Kid from going any farther. Golden eyes glanced at him questioningly and he nodded up ahead and slightly to the right. The shinigami's eyes searched out what had made him stop without moving his head. BlackStar knew when he saw it because his eyes widened before narrowing. Kid looked back at him and nodded as well._

_Star sighed silently, guessing that the other would want the deer, but he'd been hoping against hope that they could just keep going. It wasn't like he wasn't tired of the taste of fish, too, but, dammit,_ _**he was carrying ROCKS!** _ _BlackStar blew at his hair before giving in and pulling out several kunai that he slipped to Kid before arming himself as well, neither of them making a sound._

_They struggled for a few moments with miming out who would do what, and Star reflected that at some point in the future, they'd have to work out a better sign language if they planned to make hunting a usual thing. Several frustrating minutes and bouts of just-smothered laughter later, they had their plan worked out and BlackStar slipped from tree to tree as Kid stayed put in place._

_Their quarry looked up twice, ears flicking for sound, but they held still enough that it went back to nibbling at the grass. BlackStar finally slipped into place and just barely saw Kid's black hair through the yellowing leaves, flashing him a sign and waiting until he got a response. The shinigami caught his eye and nodded, both of them holding their weapons ready at the same time. In dual flashes of light glinting off their blades, two throwing knives imbedded themselves into the flesh of the deer, one slipping between its ribs and the other piercing deeply in it's throat._

_The deer took off in an instant, but they were right behind it as it ran, the blades slipping from it and leaving a trail of blood in its wake. The animal eventually stumbled and fell to its knees. They were right there within moments, Kid holding it down as BlackStar ended its suffering with another clean cut across the jugular._

_Both boys sat down with a sigh, hearts beating fast, and grinned at each other in victory. Then BlackStar pushed himself up to his knees and touched the side of the cooling body his head bowed, "And return as we must, we are ashes to dust. Amen." Kid's head snapped up to stare at him, mouth agape. Star's shoulders itched at the stare, "What?"_

_The shinigami looked down and shook his head, but Star didn't miss the smile on his lips, "Nothing."_

_BlackStar grinned himself. The words felt... right._

_Kid looked over the deer more thoughtfully as BlackStar set down his burden and prepared to clean it, "I wonder... I bet I could figure out how to make leather from this hide."_

_Green eyes blinked, "...Really?"_

_"I've not read any deeply informational books on the subject, but I've seen several that spoke about it. I think I can deduce the rest from what I've read. That would give us clothing, blankets, and carrying devices I didn't have to spend hours weaving from grasses."_

_"So, in other words, you want me to carry not just the meat, but the entire deer back to wherever camp is going to be for the night, right?"_

_Kid grimaced but nodded, "If it isn't too much for you."_

_Star pushed his basket of rocks over to the other boy, "Tag, you're it."_

_The shinigami sighed and pulled it closer, watching as BlackStar got to the bloody work of preparing their kill. It was both better and worse than fish. Worse because there was so much_ _**more** _ _of it to gut, not to mention cutting it into manageable portions to carry. Better, though, because as least there was no scaling to be done, and both of them were about sick of the stench of fish. Though, Kid thought, the smell of so much blood and gore wasn't much better._

_BlackStar finished after almost an hour, sitting back on his heels with a sigh and wiping at his brow with the back of his arm, blood covering him up to his elbows. But the hide was off and rolled up for easy carrying, and the deer was quartered and ready for wrapping in grass mats Kid had plenty of. When he was finished and had it all rigged up to go, he held up his arm, hand fisted, and Kid copied the stance, knocking the back of their wrists together in a motion that had somehow come to mean victory and companionship._

_Star stood up, testing and shifting his burden until he got the balance right, and nodded for Kid to lead the way, "Ready when you are."_

_Kid looked him over and winced, "You're covered in blood and sweat and grime..."_

_BlackStar's eye twitched for a moment, contemplating getting mad or blaming it on Kid wanting the deer in the first damn place, and then he smiled and stepped forward, his teeth flashing ferally, "Maybe..." he remarked, and hefted his load higher so it sat comfortably on his back, "But at least I'm not carrying rocks."_

* * *

_BlackStar leaned back against the trunk of the tree, moon overhead, watching the pups playing in the small clearing below. Kid was leaned next to and against him. Both of them were clothed in hard-earned, hard-learned leather. The stars shone brightly in the chill air of the night as they watched._

_Star couldn't have been more thankful when Kid finally figured out the process and the horrible stench that had taken over the camp faded- somewhat, at least. The warmth of his new outfit in the pre-winter wind was another thing to be thankful for._

_They were getting better at hunting all the time, which was a good thing, given prey was getting harder to find. They'd been learning from the best, though, having found what they assumed was the pack of wolves the rabid one back in summer had come from. They watched the fluffy pups from up in the high branches as they grew into competent hunters, growing and learning themselves._

_Kid and BlackStar had taken a long time to get where they were, but they knew how to listen to the voices of the world around them. They learned to track through the deepest forest, they learned what stealth really was when trying to sneak up on and watch natural hunters. BlackStar could barely remember the argument that had landed them here, arguing about exactly why people had lost contact with the Great Spirits of the world._

_Kid bumped shoulders with him, "What are you thinking about that has you smiling like that?"_

_Star looked up and grinned at his best friend, "Remind me to never ask Pops a question again."_

_The shinigami stared at him in confusion for a few minutes before he understood, snickering and shaking his head, "Same here."_

_"No wonder people lost contact with the earth, this shit is_ _**hard** _ _."_

_Kid tossed his head back foppishly, "How hard can it be if two children can handle it?"_

_BlackStar beamed at him and held up his fist, Kid copying it and tapping wrists with him, "Hell yeah."_

_Just like the fuzzy pups below, they'd grown, bigger, tougher, stronger: together. The young wolves weren't even pups anymore. They'd lost their puppy fuzziness and young gangliness as they moved. The pack were relaxed below them after the first successful hunt the pups had participated in. Kid and Star shared in the playfulness as younger members played and tussled still._

_BlackStar nudged Kid, "Come on."_

_The black-haired boy stared at him in confusion, "What?"_

_Star smiled, "Let's play." He cupped his hands around his mouth, took a deep breath, and- "Aaawooooo!"_

_Kid startled against him, but the pack below stilled and looked up into the trees for them. The younger ones hesitated for a moment, then howled back. Kid couldn't help smiling back when BlackStar looked at him, the enthusiasm was infectious. He rolled his eyes, but cupped his own hands around his mouth and added his howl to the symphony. Below, the adults started responding as well._

_Star laughed invitingly and took off through the trees. Kid was hot on his heels, chasing the blue-haired boy through the branches, both of them howling at intervals, and the pack running alongside them down below, a harmony of howls following them as they ran and played, racing through the night to the sound of wolfsong._

* * *

_BlackStar couldn't even remember what had started the argument, something about food, or was it warmth? He hadn't known, he hadn't cared, all he knew was that he couldn't give up and let Kid_ _**win** _ _. They'd gotten into arguments before, but they'd been good to each other for the most part ever since summer. Whether it was the cold or the hunger, tempers had been shortened, and when they'd missed that last hunt, that had been it._

_He couldn't even figure out who had started slinging accusations first; him or Kid. The morning had started out great: he'd grabbed Kid's arm to keep him from slipping from an icy branch, and Kid had returned that favor, grabbing the back of his vest to keep him from slipping into the freezing river, both of them having issues with the treacherous footing after the first snowfall. And then it had just all gone to hell when they'd tried to hunt and lost their prey._

_Kid had started in on him being useless- or maybe that had been him, he couldn't quite recall. He certainly remembered grimacing when he'd seen Kid flinch at something he said, then countered with him being as cruel and heartless as the rest of the Star Clan. In that second, BlackStar absolutely_ _**hated** _ _Kid. He didn't care if Kid looked physically pained and sickened by what he'd just said, he didn't care if the shinigami was_ _**sorry** _ _, he didn't care about the weight in his own chest that he suspected of being guilt. In that one instant, he wanted nothing more than to utterly destroy the boy he'd called his best friend._

_BlackStar didn't know what he would have done in the next second. He remembered Pops' voice in his head, saying how war and fighting was responsible for destroying the harmony of the land, but he'd never expected it to be quite so literal. But then there was the resounding, earth-shattering_ _**crack** _ _that had reverberated through their very bones, their raised voices having triggered an avalanche further up the mountain from their little cave shelter and ultimately resulting in the section of cliff face above them to giving away._

_There had been no more thought after that, only instinct which had him tackling Kid to the ground, the two of them barely avoiding the thousands of pounds of crushing stone as part of the cave collapsed, leaving them alone in the dark, in a tiny alcove that was all that remained of their shelter._

_And now... And now, they were out, and they were together and alive and just-_ _**holy fuck** _ _. BlackStar didn't care how they'd done it, he could still feel Kid inside his head, his heartbeat echoing through his brain, his relief washing against his own like ocean waves. Star didn't care how it looked, he leaned his forehead against Kid's shoulder, shaking. The shinigami wasn't totally steady himself._

_He couldn't help it: he slid to the ground and started laughing. Kid looked caught between being aghast or offended, but he wound up bent over himself, snickers escaping. They ended up leaning against each other on the cold snow. BlackStar sighed and looked up at the cloud-filled sky, "You're still not my brother."_

_"Good, because you still aren't mine."_

_"...Are my best friend, though."_

_Kid beamed at him, "Same."_

_He didn't know which one of them it came from, or if it only came from one of them; he felt it resound in that place between them, in the back of their minds:_ _**You. No one else but you.** _ _To be stuck with, to be lost in the wilderness with, to be trapped in a cave with, only Kid, only BlackStar. Best friends, forever. Together, forever._

_They both jolted as a white circle opened in front of them, a familiar voice coming from it, "Heyo, boys~"_

_"Father!"_

_"Pops!"_

_The white faded to show the death-masked reaper, "Ready to come home?" They both scrambled up and nodded, then hesitated and looked at each other. Shinigami stared at them searchingly for a moment before stepping back, "I'll give you two a minute, come through when you're ready."_

_They finally let go of one another's hands as they turned around to look out over the landscape that had provided for them for so long. Months, and yet... Kid was the one to say it: "It feels like only yesterday."_

_BlackStar nodded, picking out landmarks they could spot from their high altitude, "There's the great tree where I spent the first night, watching you trying to make fire."_

_Kid grimaced, "You saw that?"_

_Star smirked at him, "Well at least you don't suck anymore."_

_The young death god covered his eyes to search, "There's our first camp. And there's the river where I found out about your wounds."_

_BlackStar pointed out a small clearing full of jagged earth, "There's the mess I made saving your ass."_

_Golden eyes roamed over the area, "So many memories here."_

_"We'll make just as many back home."_

_"Home... I like the sound of that. It's just... I never thought it would be this hard to say good bye."_

_Star's green eyes shone in the sunlight as he grinned up at Kid, "Nah, it's not good bye." he turned the shinigami towards the portal that would take them back, "It's hello."_

_Kid smiled, "Yeah..." Then he turned to face Star and held up his arm, hand fisted, "You ready?"_

_BlackStar looked from Kid's eyes to his fist, then grinned and nodded, holding up his own and bumping the backs of their wrists together, "I was born ready."_

_They turned as one, took a deep breath, and stepped through the portal back home- together._

_313131_


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back~ Hope I manage to hop right back in the saddle...
> 
> Sorry for taking so long, but at the end of the cold and a little longer, I wrote an entire prequel fic for this~! So go check that out, and if you happen to read Blood Red Silver as well, I have a poll up on my profile right now about the secondary pairings there: so you can help tip the balance towards more KidStar fun, OR, TsuStar if you care for a change.
> 
> (Also: I got tackled from the side by a female Naruto and had to write a seedfic for that, which I might continue a bit more... Blame BlackStar! He saw her hit me, but did he help? Noooo, he sat there on his perch on high and laughed while I failed to fend her off, so it's HIS fault!)
> 
> And I've also just written a new SoMa mini fic if you care to read that~ (I know: see? I haven't been idle!)

 

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 **Ba-dump.**   _Thump-thump._  ... **Ba-dump,**   _thump-thump._   **Ba-du-** _thump._

Green eyes opened to a white ceiling.  _What in the world...?_

 **Ba-dump.**   _Thump-thump._

BlackStar narrowed his eyes and put a hand to his chest.  **Ba-dump.**   _Thump-thump._  There... there was a second heartbeat he could feel.

_Kid?_

"BlackStar?"

He blinked again and the rest of the room came into focus, "Oh, hey, Maka. You know, we really should stop meeting like this."

She gave him a strained smile, "Yeah, we really should..."

He sat up with a groan and looked around. Liz was curled up with Patty... with a strange boy sleeping at their feet? That was new. Blair was sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room and watching Maka and Soul. Soul himself appeared to be dozing like the sisters. Maka's dad was leaned against the wall next to the hallway door, gaze trained on the entryway.

BlackStar held a hand to his head and swung his feet over the side of the bed, heart stuttering when his feet hit the floor before they should have. He still had to get used to his new growth-spurt. Maka held out a hand, "Hey, are you sure you should be getting up so soon? You've been out of it all night and part of yesterday."

"My legs seem to work and I don't much feel like using a bedpan, so standing it is."

Her cheeks heated and she looked away, pointing towards the connected bathroom door.

Stein let out a puff of smoke and stood up, "Now seems as good a time as any to give you your physical..."

"Excuse me?!"

"I'll need a urine sample anyway."

BlackStar clapped his hands over his ears- huh. That wasn't going to work anymore now that he had additional ones on the top of his head... Still, the intent was the same, "I'm not listening to this!" He stalked towards the door, Stein meeting him there and holding out a beaker. They had a stand off before BlackStar 'tch'ed, grabbed the container and entered, slamming the door closed behind him.

Five minutes later, it opened, Star standing there with red cheeks, and he crossed his arms, not looking at anyone. Stein took the invitation for what it was and followed the blue-haired teen. BlackStar didn't even have to be told before he began stripping. It was hardly the first physical Stein had ever given him.

"Anything strange?"

"Besides the ears and tail, you mean?"

"Yes, besides that."

Star pulled his shirt over his head and hesitated, "I... feel something strange in my chest. On the opposite side of my heart."

Stein's eye narrowed in on him, " 'Strange' how? Any pain or numbness?"

He shook his head, "No, nothing like that. It's... it's like I have a second heartbeat. I can feel it, just slightly out of tune with my own. It's not just a sound in my ears, I can  _feel_  it, here." He held his palm on the right side of his chest.

Stein pulled out a stethoscope and placed it on the spot, listening close. BlackStar didn't even flinch from the cold, watching him and waiting. Stein pulled away with a sigh, releasing a cloud of smoke.

Star leaned forward, "Well?"

"I can't hear anything."

He frowned, "How can you not hear that?!" he grabbed the professor's hand and held it against his chest, "Can't you feel that? Thu-thump, ba-dump. Right there."

Stein slipped his hand away, "I'm not saying that  _you_  aren't feeling or hearing it, only that I can't."

Star blinked, "...Huh?"

"If I had to guess... I'd say you're feeling an echo of Kid's own heart."

"Why would I be feeling that? I never felt that with Tsubaki..."

"I don't have any answers right now, it's only a theory. I'll need to do some more tests. Strip." BlackStar grumbled but did so. Stein barely glanced at him, "Your wrappings, too."

Star froze, staring at the blood-stained white strips. He hesitated, but Stein never wavered, and Star plucked at them, unwrapping his arms. The wrappings fell to the floor and he stood there with his arms at his sides. Stein watched with eyes like a hawk, letting out another puff of cigarette smoke, "That's a nasty wound."

BlackStar looked down in surprise and realized that he was bleeding. He'd actually forgotten all about the wound that the Kishin had given him, shaving a strip of skin right off his arm. He'd gotten pretty roughed up in the battle before he'd transformed for Kid. He had enough new scrapes and injuries to hide his half-healed self-inflicted cut. Star let out a breath of relief he hadn't realized he'd been holding. No one would know, it would forever be a secret between him and Maka.

"Arms out, I need some blood."

BlackStar held them out, shaking slightly, but Stein didn't comment on it. He blinked at the four vials his doctor\professor pulled out, "And your definition of 'some' is...?"

He was given a smile that utterly failed to comfort him, "Enough to figure out what's going on in your body."

...That did not answer the question. At all.

Stein put on a pair of gloves and set the tubes on the sink before washing BlackStar's arms of all the old -and fresh- blood. Then he bandaged them with gauze and medical tape that made Star scowl. Medical tape wasn't like boxing tape or compression bandages, medical tape fused to the fucking skin and  _pulled_  when you took it off- usually taking some skin with it as a final 'fuck you'. His protest was cut off before he could get it out as Stein  _smacked_  the new bandage, a pained shiver going through Star's entire frame as his jaw locked.

He glared up at the doctor with utter hatred only a patient under callous care was capable of. The gray-haired man was, unsurprisingly, utterly unaffected. Bastard.

Once he was done making certain BlackStar wouldn't bleed to death on the bathroom floor, he pulled out a huge needle that made Star gulp and look away nervously. He could handle Tsubaki nailing him with a shuriken to the head, and Kid tossing kunai at him, but that was a  _huge_ -ass needle...

"Cough."

He glanced back at his tormen- er, physician, "Huh?'

"If you cough when I slip the needle in, it doesn't hurt. Though, naturally, you'd have to watch to get the timing right..."

BlackStar really,  _really_  hated Stein sometimes... He sighed and watched as the needle approached, wincing, and coughed when it stuck him. It really didn't hurt as much, "Huh..."

They were both silent as the first vial filled. BlackStar wasn't bothered by Stein's smoking. Smoke didn't bother him much anymore, and Stein had been giving him physicals his entire life, even before he'd been convinced to come teach for the school. Stein probably knew Star's body well enough to put him back together from pieces- with his eyes closed.

"Not that I'm one to talk about it." Star looked up in surprise, and then couldn't turn away from the intense look in Stein's eyes, "But if you'd cut any deeper, you'd have bled to death."

He wrenched his gaze down to the bandage behind that stupid needle, "Yeah, I know. Found me out, huh?"

"That wound had already begun healing." Stein pushed his glasses up his nose, "As I said, though, I'm hardly one to speak." He adjusted the screw through his head, "And it's not as if it matters to me anyway. If you end up killing yourself, you being a DWMA student, I have the right to perform your dissection. I'm interested in the secrets a member of the Star Clan would leave in their bodies..."

As a method of comfort, it rather failed, and yet, it made Star feel better anyway. Because he was no different than any other student -or teacher for that matter- to Stein. The insane, stitchy doc would probably have no issues turning him into a zombie right along side Sid.

"And give you the satisfaction? Yeah, right."

Stein smiled and removed the third vial, putting on the last one, "I see. I suppose I'll just have to wait, then."

He finished drawing blood and stashed the tubes away. Now came the part that BlackStar hated the most. It was just so  _weird_. He stood up straight, stiff as a board, as Stein started poking and prodding him all over. He  _really_  hated this part. Star was not the least bit ashamed of his body, but showing it off and being  _touched_  were two completely different things.

He wiggled and Stein admonished him, "Hold still."

"It tickles."

"Do you feel tender here?"

"You mean before you started poking at it?"

"What about here?"

"Tickles!" He shouted, moving away.

"Stop squirming."

"Then stop touching me there!"

"Was it ticklish before?"

"I don't know! How often do you decide to try and tickle yourself?!"

"And here?"

"STOP THAT!"

"Okay, bend over."

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"And cough again."

He hated this  _so_  much!

A half-hour later, BlackStar, blushing to the roots of his hair, stalked from the bathroom with Stein emerging, smirking, behind him. He went back to Kid's bedside and sat crosslegged, absolutely refusing to look at anyone else in the room.

It wasn't too much longer before BlackStar felt a change in the beating in his chest. Curious, he cocked his head and leaned over the shinigami beside him, "Kid?"

Golden eyes blinked open, "BlackStar?"

Star slumped against him in relief, "You're okay."

"Of course I am. What did you think was wrong with me?"

"Dude, you passed out, and every time I take more than four steps away from you your stats drop like a rock."

"Oh. Well, don't worry about it now. What about you?"

 _Don't worry about it now?_  Was he  _kidding?!_ The blue haired teen scoffed, "'Don't worry about it now'. You're an idiot to think I'd be able to do anything  _but_  worry."

The cocky smirk he got back lifted his spirits, "Learned from the best."

Star leaned back and grinned, "Well, I can't argue with that. Come on, lazy ass, time to stop laying around." Kid sat up with a groan and BlackStar rolled his eyes, "Yeah, tell me about it."

Kid threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, far more cautiously than Star had. He stretched and turned, testing everything. He didn't seem to be too bad, especially with his shinigami penchant for healing.

Star moved around the bed until they were shoulder to shoulder and leaned against him, crossing his arms, "Can we go back to the life-threatening missions? These vacations will be the death of me."

Kid tossed his head back and laughed. Then he had to lean back against the other just as hard, because he was suddenly supporting all of BlackStar's weight, "Star?"

The shorter teen's green eyes closed as he leaned against Kid's shoulder, "Missed you."

Kid couldn't help his smile and leaned his chin against the fuzzy spikes like he'd done so many times before, "Missed you, too."

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	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Author Note I might have forgotten to mention the Prequel-fic of this also counts as that drunken!Kid one-shot so many were asking for... oops. Slightly shorter chapter this week, but like one of my betas says, "Better a short chapter than no chapter."

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There wasn't time to ask who the cat-boy was, because they all tensed when someone knocked on the outside door. Spirit opened the door, but Star couldn't lean out far enough to see around him from his spot near the bed. Liz sat up, blinking the sleep from her eyes, and shook Patty awake. Soul was up the instant Maka Resonated with him.

Spirit turned back to face them, a well-recognized clipboard in his hands, and they all held their breaths. Official orders from Shinigami himself. Spirit flipped up the first page, then collapsed back against the wall. Maka would have tried to rush over to him if Soul hadn't held her back, "Papa?!"

He handed the board to Stein and the stitched man looked it over, going over the entire report, then turned to them, "BlackStar is on a six month probationary period."

Star tilted his head, "...Huh?" Even as Kid turned and hugged the breath out of him, burying his face in Star's neck.

"It means: if you don't do anything overtly hostile or stupid in the next six months, you'll be off scott-free."

BlackStar snorted, "So I'm not cleared, my execution's just been postponed." He hissed and drew back in pain when Kid hit him- and the young death god hadn't been holding back, either.

"Don't say that!"

Stein took a puff on his cigarette and tapped the ash on the floor, "Actually, BlackStar has it right, to an extent."

Kid looked at him warily, "How so?"

"Shinigami-sama could have cleared him, but he's obviously too conflicted. The staff don't trust BlackStar -and so none of the students do, either- and Lord Death, succumbing to their doubts and his own, has merely extended the watch period. I've little doubt the way things would have gone had certain other factors not occurred recently."

Kid's hand came up to his chin thoughtfully, "Explain."

"We've been attacked on our own ground, there's the threat of a new -stronger- enemy, and-" his eyes flicked to Patty, "-internal concerns and potential changes of long-standing regimes. To put it simply: BlackStar just isn't that important at the moment with everything else we now have on our plates."

BlackStar's smile hurt to look at, a thing of self-condemnation and bleak expectancies. It wasn't like Star at all. He tossed back his head with a bitter laugh that made Kid flinch, "So, should I go thank our new enemy for trying to kill us all and saving my life?"

"Star..."

"There's more here."

That got their attention, "What more?"

"You've been fully reinstated as a Shibusen student on the grounds of the probation."

There was that painful smirk, "So, you're saying if I manage to find someone willing to pair with the half-kishin thing that ate his last partner, I'll be able to go out on missions again."

"There's something else as well. Kid."

The shinigami shook himself out of his morose thoughts and looked up at Stein, "Yeah?"

"Your partnership with the Thompson sisters is officially dissolved."

Maka, Soul, BlackStar; Kid, Liz, Patty... There was not a single one of the younger group in the room -barring the cat-turned-human- that didn't react: " _WHAT?!_ "

Kid snatched the board from Stein's hands, "That can't-"

"Who the hell does he think-"

"But..."

Star's entire attention was on Kid as he shook. Everyone's voices cut off when the clipboard fell from Kid's trembling fingers, "Patty's... She..."

Liz leaned off her cot and reached for it at the mention of her sister, "What's wrong with Patty?"

"Patty Thompson is a Witch."

They all froze, heads swinging around to look at the little blonde, who blinked and leaned back under the scrutiny, clinging to Pushi's arm, "I..."

Maka shook her head, "How?"

Blair went over the basics, "The Kishin thing had magic, and Patty's long exposure due to Pushi primed her to receive it. She's a Witch."

Kid would have fallen to his knees if Star hadn't caught him and sat him back on the berth, "Father's dissolved our partnership. I'm off missions. Will Patty be okay?"

"I'll teach her." Blair stood beside the young blonde, "I'll teach both of them about wielding their magic."

"And what about me?" Liz stood up, "What am  _I_  supposed to do? Find a new Meister and go on with my life while my little sister is taken away and trained in how to blow people up?  _What the hell's going on up there_?!"

Stein reined them in once again, "Not in the least. You'll be Patty Thompson's new Meister."

Liz started in surprise. Sure, she and Patty had wielded each other when they were on the streets, but that wasn't a thing at Shibusen. She shook her head, "I petitioned for that when we  _first_  got here, dammit! Why now? Why-"

"Because  _you_  have been shown to be the leash to Patty's temper, and the school is more concerned about keeping a Witch grounded than worrying about either of you becoming the best Death Scythes you can be."

Liz's expression mirrored BlackStar's to a disturbing degree, "So they're muzzling us."

Everyone startled at the hollow, gong-like sound of BlackStar's fist colliding with the barrier protecting the room, making it flash purple for an instant before going invisible again. He struck out again, everybody frozen, "Fuck this! Fuck this whole fucking situation! First losing Tsubaki, then this whole  _clusterfuck_  with me, now tearing Kid and the sisters apart and cripple their training?  _FUCK IT ALL!_ "

Blair and Stein both shot out when BlackStar pulled his arm back and it crackled with his Soul Menace attack. Blair had no idea what would happen if the blue-haired teen's soul wavelength clashed directly with her magics, but she really had no desire to find out. Stein didn't know what affect that attack would have on the barrier, but he knew exactly what affect using his soul abilities in his state would do to BlackStar. Their voices were one as they shouted, "STOP!"

They moved, knowing it wouldn't be in time as BlackStar's fist shot forward. Then the adults both halted as his fist froze in midstirke, his whole body trembling, face bent forward and hidden in shadow, as Kid rested a hand on his shoulder. "That's enough Star."

BlackStar shook his head, "'Snot 'enough'. It's like we don't even exist to them. Just pawns to be moved about as they wish. They just-"

Blair's hand dropped from where it was reaching toward him, pulled back to her chest, and she felt her ears flatten as she scented the salt in the air. Stein turned away to give them some privacy as the small, crystal-clear drops hit the floor.

Liz was too exhausted to put up with it all, collapsing back to the cot and pulling Patty's head down to her lap, she ran her fingers through the golden tresses. Maka bit her lip and looked away, Soul's hand on her arm the only thing anchoring her.

No one commented on BlackStar's tears, on Kid turning him around and pulling him close. Star's arms crept up Kid's back and he hid his face in Kid's chest. Kid's arms tightened, "You're right: it's not enough. But it's all we can do."

BlackStar scoffed, "What the hell  _can_  we do?"

Kid could do nothing but hold him closer, because he didn't know, either.

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	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New KidStar drabble up if you want to check that out.

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_It was Spirit that spoke up, "Many have been shaken by the attack, and we need all the able fighters we can get to face this new enemy. There's been a Partner Drive in the auditorium every twelve hours since the attack. If you feel up to it, you could make the next one."_

BlackStar pulled his scarf up to hide the lower half of his face and bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood. "Tch." He hated Maka's dad right now. The lights were dim and he hid beside a pillar out of sight and out of his fucking mind.

This was insane. The room was packed with students, a large stage at the front of the room with spotlights so Weapons could show off their abilities for Meisters to pick and choose from. There was no excitement in the atmosphere, no showing off. The whole affair was affected by an air of fear and desperation. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

 _That's about right, too. Desperate._  This entire scenario showed just how desperate the school really was for every able body they could get. These partner events usually only happened once or twice a year. For there to be a constant string of them twice a day  _every day_... Being attacked on their own ground and losing so many prime fighters to injury -none the least of which included Maka and Soul, and Liz and Patty which took Kid out of the ranks- had everybody grasping at straws.

Weapons and Meisters were transferring from NOT to EAT under the pressure of seeing friends teaming up and putting themselves on the line to face these new enemies. BlackStar saw a raven-haired girl in pigtails that he'd seen paying Maka a visit trembling in a corner with two other girls. She shook -in fear if he had his guess- but her face was frozen in a look of determination and she gripped the other two's hands so hard her knuckles were white.

Among the group on the stage was a tan girl with her brown hair in two braids who was showing off her weapon ability. A butterfly knife, and she was skilled enough to make use of it on her own without a Meister. The school wasn't preparing its students: it was mustering an army. BlackStar hated this whole thing.

But more than anything, he hated that stage, and the lights, and how every single Weapon in the room had been given a number and told they  _had_  to go up there and flaunt themselves.  _He_  had to go up there and flaunt himself. It was one thing to show his skills, but that wasn't what they were asking for; they wanted him -all of them- to show their weapon form so that they could be paired off and sent off for emergency training so they had one more (or two, depending precisely on how one viewed the Weapon-Meister unit) warm body to throw at the Kishin-creatures.

Reports were coming in from all over the world with more sightings of the beasts. As if the normal Kishin weren't enough, cities and towns were being subjected to fights between Kishin and these new enemies that hunted them, with civilians caught in the crossfire. BlackStar's teeth dug into his lower lip.

It was no wonder they hadn't bothered to execute him: why waste the time and energy killing him themselves when they could pair him up with some poor bastard and throw him to the wolves? Probably saved on paperwork _and_  effort.  _Shit, I hate this_.

Tsubaki would have been able to figure something out. A way to help, a plan to keep up spirits, at the very least she'd have been able to pull BlackStar out of his mood and put him to work in some way. He'd  _rather_  be out there helping the clean-up crews. He'd rather be working and picking through debris and putting his  _home_  back together. At least that would be  _doing_  something. Anything would be better than standing around here being useless.

It wasn't like the sudden influx of need was going to make him any more desirable a partner than he'd been before. Meisters now had a whole host of Weapons quite literally throwing themselves at their feet, and BlackStar just didn't have what it took to be a very good ass-kisser to stand out from the crowd.

...He wasn't even sure to what extent he could control his new Weapon abilities. He'd only successfully transformed himself to and back twice, once under duress and the other with the help of a Soul Resonance. He hadn't exactly gotten the chance to try things out, either. He'd never even  _felt_  this pressure before. He'd always been the Meister, the one encouraging his Weapon, now here he was  _as_  the Weapon, and he was the one needing encouragement.

He clenched his jaw and winced as he nicked his tongue. BlackStar swallowed the blood and watched the next wave of Weapons walk up on stage. He  _hated_  this. He'd rather be back letting Stein poke and prod at him again than be here, watch this. It was  _wrong_. It made his skin crawl. They'd walk up on the stage, into that too-bright spotlight, show the extent of their transformation abilities; all the while with a number sign around their necks, like slaves, as the rest of the room watched. This wasn't how partners were meant to be chosen. How many of these pathetically hopeful students would be right back here tomorrow after discovering they had no working soul chemistry with their 'partner'?

He shivered and pulled his scarf up farther.

"Numbers eighty through eighty-nine, please step up."

BlackStar picked at his own laminated number plaque where it rested against his chest: Number Eighty-Eight. Kid would be so pleased. He looked up, eyes trailing over the Weapons. There had been a few that counted as symmetrical; one student a two-headed meteor hammer, one a set of dual swords connected by a chain. There were a few other pairs that could transform, but either the human forms or weapon forms were just slightly off.

Still, BlackStar had no doubt Kid would find something. He certainly wouldn't be lacking for offers.

"Number eighty-eight, please come up."

"Tch." BlackStar crossed his arms and reluctantly approached the stage, the crowd parting before him like the red sea as they caught sight of him. Why did it feel like he was walking towards the chopping block? It wasn't like anyone would choose him anyway. BlackStar's steps stuttered as the realization smashed through his mind: He didn't want anyone to pick him.

The wary shifting of the crowd around him brought him out of his stupor and he climbed the stairs of the stage, passing all the other weapons standing there with expressions that ranged from determined to terrified to nauseous.

BlackStar's eyes closed as he took his place in the lineup, the whole room dim, hiding him in the darkness. He couldn't feel other's souls, he didn't have Perception abilities, but he could hear the nervous breathing as the first spotlight flicked on, casting the poor girl below it into horrified stillness. Alone on a stage with half the school watching her and waiting for her to show what she could do.

Again and again it happened. The light engulfing its victim and putting them on display for the student body. Some choked, others shone And then it was his turn. The light flashed red, filtered through his closed eyes, the heat of the spotlight like sunburn on his skin. BlackStar opened his eyes to stare out across the auditorium. Faceless masses shifted in place, hard to make out in the glare of the spotlight. But BlackStar didn't need to see their faces to know what they thought of him.

_I'm done._

He showed nothing as he stood there in the light, still as a statue. Whispers started as his five minutes passed and he refused to move. BlackStar was through playing their games. All his life, he'd aimed for the spotlight, to be seen, to be heard, to be acknowledged even  _once_. He'd stood on the tops of the highest towers and shouted his dreams to the world. He'd faced every challenge that came his way with enthusiasm, never hiding anything.

There was no one in this school whose abilities were more widely-known. And there had been no lack of witnesses when he and Kid had gone into action at the party, when they had tested themselves, pushed themselves and their bond to the limit to protect their friends. If what he was wasn't good enough for them after everything he'd ever done, then there was no sense in trying to make a last-minute impression now, and BlackStar was sick of trying.

The light went dim and he walked off the stage without waiting for the last weapon after him to finish his turn.

He didn't make it three steps away from the stage when his arm was grabbed roughly and he was yanked around, "What the hell was that, Star?"

He jerked his arm out of Kid's grip, "What was what?"

"That, that-" Kid waved his hand in that snotty way he sometimes did when he couldn't find the right word, "That. You didn't do anything."

There was more in BlackStar's voice than he was comfortable with when he replied, "Haven't I done enough?"

Kid's eyes went liquid with empathy before they hardened again and he shook his head, "You'll never get a partner like that."

"Good."

Golden eyes widened, "What?"

"I don't want one anymore."

"You don't want- what? What about missions? What about the Kishin-creatures? What about-"

BlackStar held a hand to his own chest, "What about  _me_ , Kid?" He couldn't do this, he couldn't. He waved his arm out towards the faceless masses, "I don't know how  _they_  can do it. This is a joke, these aren't partners." He turned away and pulled his scarf back up.

"Star-"

He rounded on Kid, emerald flames burning in his gaze, " _I am not a whore_!"

The entire room went silent. Kid glanced around uneasily before pulling him away to a darkened corner, "What are you talking about? I never said anything like that!"

BlackStar looked away, "I don't know how they can stand it out there. I don't know what it felt like for you when we Resonated the other night, Kid, but for me, in weapon form, it was  _nothing_  like when we were kids. You held me and I  _felt you_. It was-" his cheeks heated and he shook his head, "I felt you  _inside_. In a way I never felt Tsubaki. I didn't know that's what it would be like to be a weapon. There is a place inside me Tsubaki used to be that  _hurts_. It burns and throbs like a wound cauterized shut. It's not bleeding anymore but that doesn't mean it's  _healed_ , and I'm not going to go letting some stranger rummaging around in there.

"I don't care if I don't find a partner, but I'll be damned if I'm going to beg to get some stranger  _inside_  me like a whore."

Kid stared at him like he'd grown a second head and then another after that. He turned away and headed for the exit, halting in place as Kid's hand shot out and caught him by the arm, "Stay."

His eyes closed, "I can't stand around here and watch this anymore."

"Please." BlackStar glanced back, not used to that particular note of pleading in Kid's voice. Golden eyes held him immobile, "Please stay. For me."

He nodded, and Kid slowly pulled his hand away. They both turned as the weapons were requested up on stage for the Meisters to make their make offers to. Kid hesitated, watching him. And because it was Kid, BlackStar put on a smile that hurt to fake and pushed the shinigami's shoulder, "What are you, deaf? You heard 'em. I'll be back."

Kid nodded and stepped back. The smile fell from Star's face the moment he turned. He stepped up on the stage once again with the other weapons milling nervously around him, watching them all. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to stand here and force a smile on his face as he listened to Kid's voice call out from the darkness and choose a new partner or two, didn't want to try to work someone new into the dynamic that was their group. What would Liz and Patty feel seeing their Meister walking around with someone new, replacing them?

BlackStar honestly didn't know which would be worse: if the person(s) in question were jerks that would be easy to hate and they were forced to tolerate, or if they were nice and meek in that way that made a person feel resentful and awkward and then feel guilty for feeling the former.

Ninety-six weapons had walked up on that stage and thrown their fates to the rest of the student body. It was painful to watch the hope in their eyes die as Meister after Meister stepped forward and called a name -or worse, a number- and they were left unchosen. Others stepped up nervously with their new partners, their anxiety clear on their faces, wondering and worrying if they'd even resonate well enough for the partnership to work, if they'd be back to the same uncertainty again in twelve hours.

BlackStar resisted the urge to rub at the pounding spot throbbing at his temple. The whole thing gave him a frustration-induced migraine. He could make out Kid's form in the crowd, black against softer shadow. BlackStar closed his eyes as weapon after weapon was called away, the pool of those left shrinking around him with audible sighs of relief when they were chosen. Time trickled away, silences stretching longer and longer before names were called as Meisters considered asking for a partner from those remaining.

Shuffling became a constant sound as the pressure built. Twenty left, fifteen, ten. When BlackStar finally opened his eyes, he was one of only three people remaining unclaimed. One of the other two being the dual chain-swords he'd pegged as being snatched up by Kid. And that was probably the only reason that the guy was left: because others had had the same thought and didn't want to risk the son of death's ire.

When no more offers came after minutes of silence, the announcer of the latest round of the Partner Drive, Miss Misery, spoke up, "Last Call! Final offers?"

BlackStar's eyes narrowed out at the crowd, defying them all. He didn't  _need_  them, dammit! He'd make his dream come true with his own hands, without a partner if he had to! He wouldn't let this hold him back, hold him down; he wouldn't!

Time slipped away, measured in heartbeats, when Kid finally stepped forward to claim sword-boy. The hush was uncanny as he stepped up on stage, his shoes clicking against the floor louder than they should have been. The quiet was broken by one sentence that changed everything.

"I offer for BlackStar."

Every head in the room whipped around- including Star's, staring disbelievingly at the young death god that stepped up next to him, challenging them all with a calm gaze as he reached out to take Star's hand. The students below and around them exploded in a cacophony of shouts and protests. BlackStar didn't hear a single one, unable to tear his eyes from Kid as his heart raced into overdrive. His chest felt too tight to breathe, let alone speak. It shouldn't have been possible for his whisper of sound to reach Kid, " _Why_?"

He wasn't symmetrical. He wasn't part of a set. Kid's OCD would act up every single time they worked together. Kid had access to a perfectly symmetrical weapon right next to him. So  _why_?! Why, with all of that against him, would he pick  _BlackStar_?!  _Why would you do that?_

Kid's fingers tightened around his as he gave a soft half-smile over his shoulder, "You're more important than symmetry."

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	35. Chapter 35

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BlackStar opened the door to his and Tsubaki's shared dorm, closing it behind him. The silence was all-encompassing. He hadn't been back here since Tsubaki's death. Not that there was much choice now, with the Manor undergoing repairs.

_"You're more important than symmetry."_

His eyes narrowed, "Tch." BlackStar stood in the middle of the room for a minute, then both hands plunged into his hair, "Gah! What the fuck was that stupid pretty boy thinking, saying sappy crud like that?!"

That dumb shinigami probably had no idea how one sentence made BlackStar's whole face burst into flame and made his chest feel too tight to breathe.

_"You're more important than-"_

"Liar!  _Nothing_ is more important than symmetry to you!" His hands dropped with a soul-deep sigh. Okay,  _he_  was the one lying. Forgetting their childhood when they'd both been young and stupid, Kid had always come through when it counted.

How was he supposed to deal with this? Was it any better for  _him_  to be the one replacing Liz and Patty than if it was a stranger? And replacing Tsubaki with-  _No._  Kid was nothing like Tsubaki. They touched two entirely different parts of his soul. Kid had asked for him, and BlackStar... BlackStar had run out of the room without giving him an answer.

He had his reasons! Who did Kid think he was just suddenly popping a question like that without warning him?! And he couldn't, in good conscious, say yes without asking Liz and Patty first. He'd been friends with those girls for years, he wasn't going to just make a huge decision like that without telling them anything.

He flopped back on his unmade bed and covered his face with his hands, releasing an explosive breath.  _Kid, you idiot._  He spread his fingers to stare up at the too-white ceiling. He wished Tsubaki was here. He wished it very badly. He didn't feel like he was suffocating anymore, the thought of her being gone didn't cripple him, but it hurt.

It hurt and he missed her so much. Not as his weapon, not even as his soul resonance partner, just as his friend who was a shining little ball of light that made him feel better just by being in the room. It felt strange and foreign to be here and not know she was across the room on her own bed, to not just  _know_  she was there, hear her breathing as she watched him have his little break-down.

 _I miss you so much_. This wasn't  _his_  room, it was  _theirs_ , and she was missing. It didn't feel right. BlackStar sat up with a huff, looking at the unmade bed across from his own. That was his doing: he'd woken Tsubaki up and been so excited. He'd thrown her clothes at her and dragged her out the room before she'd even had time to change, let alone make her bed. She had been his anchor for years, his confidant, the annoying voice of reason to his amazing schemes.

More often than not, he could drag Kid into just about anything he planned, like the stereo system tampering the night of the party. But Tsubaki tended to be able to reign him in. They were both such huge parts of his life, just... different parts. But the fact remained that BlackStar had been more or less running from one of them and using the other as a crutch against them. How was he supposed to deal with Kid when he wasn't a broken heap for the death god to fix and when Tsubaki wasn't there to duck behind for cover?

He looked down at himself and grimaced. BlackStar came to one conclusion.  _I hate being in love._  He couldn't even quite remember when the stupid, sweet, squishy feelings had manifested exactly. All he knew was that one day, while Kid was still away on his training trip with the sisters, BlackStar had been walking down the hall and it had hit him with all the force of a freight train to the head.  _I love Kid_. It might have been something Tsubaki or Maka had said, but he didn't know what, all he knew was that something big had changed.

He had been relying on Tsubaki to keep from making too big an idiot out of himself since Kid got back. Because BlackStar didn't know how to  _be_  in love. He didn't want to be all sappy and gushy with Kid, he just wanted to be around him constantly, look and know he was there. He wanted to know Kid looked back at him with the same dumb, warm, tight feeling in his chest that he did. How was he supposed to go and be Kid's weapon without letting  _that_  cat out of the bag? How were they supposed to resonate when he constantly had to hold that part of himself back so Kid didn't find it? How could he possibly go about being just 'Kid's best friend'?

Tsubaki had always helped him with that part before, let him know when he was staring just a little too long, bumped into him when he stepped just a little too close. Because only Tsubaki had understood BlackStar's real problem: it wasn't that he worried about Kid rejecting him, it was that he couldn't afford for Kid to love him back. He was mortal and Kid wasn't. His life wasn't a vampire love story; there was no ability for Kid to make him undying like himself. BlackStar had a death sentence hanging over his head while Kid had eternity stretching before him. BlackStar was going to die- chances were he was going to die young, and it was better for all involved if Kid didn't love him when that happened.

Losing Tsubaki had almost been the end of him, and he hadn't been in love with her. Kid had what it took to make it, to be a god worthy of worship, BlackStar wasn't going to be the fatal weakness in that happening. Because if there was one thing a person learned being around the young death god, it was that Kid felt and he felt  _strongly_. Hate, loyalty, determination. To be loved like that...

Star's hands fisted and he shook his head. He stood up and walked over to Tsubaki's bed, curling up in the middle of it and pulling her pillow close. He buried his face in the soft fabric, inhaling the delicate, nearly non-existent scent of the camellia shampoo his partner had favored.  _I miss you. You were the only one who understood._

Tsubaki had been the one to hold him at night when it became too much. She had been the one there to run gentle fingers through his hair when he broke down, cried and screamed at the unfairness of his fucking life. Denied family because they were murdering psychopaths, denied friends because of his lost family, denied love because he had to go and choose the worst possible person in his life to fall for. Fucking clusterfuck of a life. His grip tightened and he pushed his face harder into the pillow.

=-0-=

When he finally woke up, BlackStar took note of the amber light pouring in through the window. He looked around and felt his heart constrict. Tsubaki's bed. Her things. Her half of the closet, her dresser\table. BlackStar would have to go through everything and pack it up. It was bad enough he'd lost her, but to erase that she'd been there at all?

Feeling too drained to put up a fight against the inevitability, he dragged himself out of bed and started with the drawers. He snickered as he recalled one memorable incident where he needed to spot a little money -he'd had full intentions of paying her back!- and Tsubaki had come in at the worst possible time to see him rifling through her panty-drawer. He still had a small scar -in the exact center of his forehead if Kid ever noticed- from the shuriken he hadn't been able to dodge in time. That had been his -until that moment, anyway- sweet, demure partner, he hadn't exactly expected her to suddenly attack him! It had not been fun retelling the nurse exactly how he'd gotten injured when she'd had to pry a ninja weapon from his skull.

The top drawer was full of knick-knacks and miscellaneous junk, including an array of shuriken and kunai. That sneak, she'd stolen his kunai! Okay, so she'd probably actually only picked them up from the floor and not given them back; same thing.

In the second drawer were all their pictures in their frames, carefully hidden away from the possibility of being hit by stray projectiles if either of them got bored. Tsubaki's smiling face greeted him from just above his own face-hiding grin and his breath stilled in his lungs. He reached out with a shaking hand and picked it up, setting it carefully on the top of the drawers. Back in the drawer was another picture of him fleeing as Maka tried to kill him, Soul in scythe form and BlackStar waving impertinently to Tsubaki as he raced past, where she'd snapped the picture.

In the bottom of the drawer was a photo album he hadn't seen before, but BlackStar wasn't sure he had the strength to look through it just now. He closed them and sat back on the bed. ...Just how creepy would it be considered for him to just turn her half of the room into a shrine? He could pay rent to keep the school from putting up another in that side of the room.

He turned and buried his face back in the pillow again. He couldn't do this. What sick bastard came up with this system? BlackStar punched the mattress and rolled- the wrong way.

"Whah!"  _Thud_. He winced as his tailbone throbbed in pain.  _Okay, maybe it's best she's dead..._  His cheeks heated at just imagining Tsubaki giggling at his moment of inattention. ...It felt good, actually. He knew the exact sound of her laughter. He flopped back on the floor with a softer thud and sighed, head turned to the side.

Green eyes blinked when met with a white, shoe-box-like box.  _That's new_... He rolled over and fearlessly reached under the bed to pull it out. He sat up and stared down at it, tilting his head. What could Tsubaki have possibly had that she'd hidden under the bed? They'd seen each other naked enough times to be able to fill out each other's scar and birthmark portion of their physical questionnaires. What could she have thought so secret that she hid it from him?

He grinned and started snickering. So help him, best friend or not, dead or not, if he'd happened upon Tsubaki's hidden stash of porn or sex toys, he was going to laugh himself sick.

He tugged the lid off, the expression falling from his face as the whole world froze around him.  _No..._

It was... well-organized. Notes and letters all in one little partition of the box, trinkets in another part, photos in another. BlackStar stood up and backed away from the box. He stared blankly at the closed closet door before moving forward to push it aside. In the top, where he had to stretch up to reach, there was another box. He pulled it down and set it on the floor next to the first. The difference was that he knew what was in this one before he opened it. He pulled off the lid.

There, inside, rested the star-decorated outfit, as well as a long black scarf, and a small, golden, heart-shaped locket. He'd still been in a daze back when Kid had shown him the box the first time, said some kind soul had gathered up Tsubaki's outfit from the mud as he'd lain passed out in the rain that hellish day. BlackStar hadn't really paid attention. What had it mattered then if someone had picked up Tsubaki's clothing when he'd just lost the girl herself?

He picked up the soft dark scarf and ran it through his hands, a perfect opposite to the one around his own neck. He remembered the day Tsubaki had begun wearing it, after the last Battle Festival. He folded it and laid it aside next to the other box, and held up the locket. BlackStar had a feeling he knew what he'd see inside. He opened it and sure enough, on the left side was a small picture of him and Tsubaki, him holding out twin victory signs and Tsubaki's arm resting on his shoulder as she held out one of her own, a single starfire-blue eye closed as she stuck out her tongue teasingly. And on the right was a smaller version of the photo he'd seen in the box, Tsubaki smiling and blushing at the camera, arms wrapped around her stomach as the other parson rested their chin over her shoulder and looked toward the lens.

Gray-blue eyes shining with simple happiness, Liz looked back at him from where she held Tsubaki in her arms.

353535


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the dissenters out there, I've actually been planning this since the beginning. I even foreshadowed it way back in chapter 17 with Liz's reactions when she was alone on the staircase.
> 
> The next chapter may be delayed due to life and writing problems as I figure out how to bridge the gap between this arc and where I want the next one to go. As always, I'm open to suggestions, and thank you all. *bows*
> 
> (Also-also: The poll over on Silver is closed, and the winner is more KidStar and TsuLiz~! Yay!)

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He knocked on the door repeatedly, not caring how loud or annoying it was. It was ripped from beneath his knuckles and gray-blue eyes glared out at him before realizing exactly who it was. Liz sighed, "Sorry, things are sort of busy here. Did you need something?"

"I need to talk to you. Now."

There was no playfulness in BlackStar's eyes. There was a seriousness that Liz wasn't used to seeing in the blue-haired boy.  _But then,_  she thought,  _none of us have much reason to feel playful, do we?_  She took a breath and stepped aside, leaving the door open for him. "Come on, we can talk in the bedroom."

The livingroom was a disaster area and Patty waved them by happily, Pushi lagging behind a solid two seconds, learning by copying everything the younger sister did, matching smiles on their faces. Blair's golden eyes narrowed on them as they walked past, attention momentarily distracted from teaching Pushi and Patty how to feel for their magic.

Liz looked away and led BlackStar to the room she shared with her sister. He didn't hesitate to sit on Patty's bed, apparently unbothered by being surrounded on all sides by multitudes of stuffed animals. She sat on her own bed, hands on her knees, and waited for BlackStar to say what he'd come here for.

He didn't look at her, didn't look away from the box he'd brought with him that rested on his lap. His hands tensed, tightening their hold on the mysterious box, "She never told me. Why didn't she ever tell me? I never hid anything from Tsubaki. None of my worries, none of my nightmares, I never held back anything. So why...  _why_  didn't she tell me? Why didn't either of you tell me?!"

BlackStar's head snapped up, pinning her in place with blazing eyes full of green fire. Liz sucked in a harsh breath. She had never felt like this in BlackStar's presence before. She tore her gaze away with a scoff, "What are you talking about, dumbass?"

BlackStar's left hand shot out, a delicate golden chain wrapped around his fingers, from which dangled-

Liz's eyes widened as her whole world narrowed down to the small golden locket that swung back and forth on the end of the necklace. There was no thought in the action, just instinct as she reached out for it, BlackStar pulling it away with reflexes that far outstripped her own, rolling off the bed and to his feet to avoid her lunge. She rolled over on Patty's pink bedspread, unable to look away from the heart swinging so close, "Where did you get that?!"

"It, and her clothes, were all that was left.  _Why_?! Why, Liz?! Why did I never know?"

Her expression tightened at the look of blatant pain that flashed in green eyes, looking away as it echoed something broken deep inside. The silence was heavy, uncomfortable, unbroken. She sat up and leaned her head into her hands, elbows on her legs. BlackStar had  _no idea_. Like she'd  _wanted_  to hide it? Like she'd wanted to be treated like some dirty little secret? Like it hadn't torn her heart to pieces day after day?

But even in spite of all that, she'd known the reason for it all, and she'd understood.

Liz sighed, "We... we couldn't. No one knows. Well, no one but Patty. No one else  _could_  know."

" _Why_?"

"Because! Because... it was either tell all of you, or none of you, and... we weren't that cruel." BlackStar's quickly sucked in breath told her he understood instantly what she'd meant. She looked up at him, unashamed of the sheen of tears in her eyes, "How could we come out in the open, show our relationship so openly, so  _happily_ , when you were suffering in silence so close? It was always you and Kid, right back to the time we first met. Even with Patty and I as his Weapons, as his  _partners_ , it was still 'Kid and BlackStar'. Even when we left to train.

"Then we get back, and there she is, able to put up with your shit and smile when I wanted to kill you and Kid both for your idiocy. And it was still 'Kid and BlackStar' but then, left behind everytime you two went off, it was 'Liz and Tsubaki'. She was calm in the storm, she was the quiet in the crowds, she was-"

"An anchor."

Liz smiled up at him as the first tears rolled down her cheeks, "It's hard not to love someone like that, isn't it? Because she put up with me, too. She didn't mind going on dates where Patty tagged along, didn't mind the times we did nothing more than laid out on the bed together and talked about what it was like putting up with  _you two_. Tsubaki made me calm when I was upset, she made me happy when I was down, and she- she made me brave when I was afraid." Liz reached up to her neck and pulled up a gold cord matching the one BlackStar still held perfectly. Taking it off and opening the locket, she held it out to show him.

On the left side was a picture of her with Patty and Kid, Patty looking overjoyed, Liz herself down in front of the both with a strained smile as Kid looked at them both from the corner of one eye assessing, the other closed as he straightened his tie. And on the right side was a matching picture to the one in the locket he held, Liz's chin perched on Tsubaki's shoulder as she held her wrapped in her arms.

"And I can't show anything. I can't  _cry_. I have to keep up so no one notices, because I was her  _friend_. But  _dammit_! It  _hurts_!" Liz shook her head and glared at him through teary eyes, "Half my heart is  _gone_  and I'm sorry we never told you, before, okay?! But afterward things seemed just a little  _strained_ , with Kid once again going off to be with you and I had to fucking stand there and s-smile because that's what was exp-pected of me!"

BlackStar's hand lowered slowly and Liz's gaze dropped to her lap, grip so tight around the thin necklace chain that it dug unto her palm, "She's gone... Tsubaki's gone and I'm cold. I'm so cold without her here. I miss her. You heard Soul, right? How could I be so emotionless? What's there to get excited about now?! The world took Tsubaki from me, the school took our partner, the Kishin ruined our home; what is there to be happy about?! I'd rather be emotionless, because I don't think I can handle all the emotions those events would force on me otherwise. I like being numb." She shook her head, eyes closing as more clear drops fell, "Don't make me feel again,  _please_. I don't want to feel anymore."

She didn't look up as the bed dipped next to her under BlackStar's weight. The silence pressed in on them again, minutes passing undisturbed. Time enough for the wetness to dry on her cheeks as she stared at nothing.

"Kid made a claim for me at the Partner Drive."

Her eyes shot wide, "And?"

"I... left."

She whipped her head around to look at him, "Are you  _insane_?!"

BlackStar gave a choked off laugh, "Probably. What do I do? How can I take him from you?"

Liz sighed, "You idiot. You aren't taking him from us. The school took him from us, and it's not like they'll give him back if no one else steps up. Better you than anyone else."

His hands tightened on the box again, "How do I hide it from him that close?"

"You give it your all, and if it doesn't work, then you accept it and move on from there."

He looked at her incredulously, " 'Move on from there?' "

Liz turned and grabbed BlackStar by the shoulders, " _Yes_. Don't waste this chance. Don't waste any chance. Stay as close to him as possible for as long as you possibly can. It wasn't 'Kid and BlackStar' for nothing. You're right, we should have told you. So don't go making the same mistake we did. I l-lost Tsubaki, don't lose Kid. Besides," she closed her eyes and smiled, the way she remembered Tsubaki smiling at her, "would you really trust anyone else to keep him safe for you?"

Liz opened her eyes to see BlackStar look down at his lap, at the box, "...No, I wouldn't." He took a deep breath, "I won't lose anyone else."

Part of her wanted to believe him- and another, darker, more jaded part wanted to tell him how many times she'd thought that herself and then lost someone else. But Liz was just a street urchin, who was she to argue with the vows of someone who swore to surpass a god? That had always been one subject that came up time and time again between them.

_A sigh sounded from the form in her arms, "I'm envious of BlackStar."_

_She scoffed, "What for?"_

_Tsubaki's hand tightened on her Liz's top, "I want to be that strong. That brave."_

_"You want to be too stupid to hear your survival instincts, too?"_

_Tsubaki's head whipped up so fast Liz felt a crick in her own neck in sympathy, before she saw the smile Liz had, "You..." Tsubaki gave her a closed-eye smile that made her face heat and chest feel tight, "You, too, huh, Liz-koi?"_

_She snuggled down further, "There's something to be said for fearlessness, even at the cost of all common sense."_

Liz startled as something long and-  _and warm_  settled around her shoulders and neck. She looked up in confusion to see BlackStar expertly wrapping a familiar black scarf around her. He stepped back when he was done and looked away, "Don't stay cold. Tsubaki wouldn't want that. She always... always thought it was better to feel things, even if those things hurt. She was brave like that."

Liz closed her eyes as the door shut behind him, feeling warm for the first time since she'd heard the news. When she opened them, it was to the white box BlackStar had left behind. Curious, she grabbed it and took the top off, her past before her eyes. Her notes and letters to Tsubaki. Photos they'd taken, small presents she'd given the other girl, from a star keychain to remind her of her idiot partner to a Christmas ornament she'd picked up in the hopes they could hang it up together someday.

She pulled the scarf up farther, and didn't fight the tears that fell as she went through everything in the box. She focused on her memories, the good ones, and the bad ones, and lost herself in all the feelings they evoked.

* * *

BlackStar began his hunt, wondering how far he'd have to go to find him. Not very, it turned out. He found Kid walking down the hall in the opposite direction of his and Tsubaki's room. He'd probably been looking for him, and an uncomfortable bubble welled in his chest at the thought of Kid standing at his door who knew how long and trying to get him to open it when he wasn't even inside.

He ran faster, "Kid!"

The black-clad form stiffened and turned to face him. BlackStar slid to a halt in front of the young death god, panting from running all the way from Liz and Patty's back -how had they missed each other?- hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Kid blinked down at him, "BlackStar? What are you- where were you?"

"I -hah- needed some -whoo- advice." He straightened up, "And to return something."

"What was it?"

He shook his head, "Doesn't matter now. What matters is that I have an answer for you." He sucked in a breath, ignoring that part of his mind screaming that he was about to ruin everything and that he should  _run_  far and fast, "Yes."

Kid's head tilted, "Yes?"

BlackStar nodded, "Yes: I'll be your partner."

Golden eyes widened before softening, and BlackStar finally understood why it was Tsubaki had always closed her eyes when she'd smiled, because the warmth and relief in Kid's gaze as he did the same took his breath away. Maybe it wouldn't be forever, and maybe he'd fuck everything up like he always seemed to, but Liz was right, this was worth it, and he'd cherish it for as long as he could.

363636


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to confirm this, but there will NOT be a chapter next week. Everyone remember the Naruto Seed Fic I mentioned a few chapters ago? I've been writing for that in my spare time and have all the way to the end of Wave pretty much done. So starting next Friday I'll start posting those chapters up at a rate of one PER DAY-- hopefully writing the next SE chaps at the same time, but writing them and editing these and then editing and posting both would confuse the hell out of me and you'd probably end up with Kakashi testing the Genin by accident instead of the next SE chapter. So I'll post those up until the we get to the end of Wave, then hopefully post the next SE the friday after that finishes.
> 
> If you happen to like Naruto, my battle-scenes for it are pretty interesting if I do say so myself.  
> (And yes, I am fully aware how evil it is to do this on two matching cliff-hangers. But I never said I wasn't evil~)
> 
> Oh! And I HAVE to share this: Everyone remember back when Kid was first comforting Star in the infirmary~? Well... SOMEONE MADE FANART! Check out the top of my profile for the amazing KaburagiKotetsu's work over on Deviant Art. Her works have been a major inspiration for me to keep the fic going. THANK YOU SO MUCH, NA-CHAN!

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Sweat beaded on his skin.

"Again."

BlackStar, sword, BlackStar, sword, BlackStar. He bent over with his hands on his knees, panting for breath, head feeling like it was underwater.

"Again."

Sword, BlackStar, sword, BlackStar, sword, and back. His heart raced in his chest and no amount of breathing was calming it down as it fluttered erratically. His body ached like he'd been working out constantly for days instead of just hours.

"Again."

"How about fucking  _not_?!" He snapped with a venomous green glare, gasping for breath. BlackStar stood up and staggered, absurdly grateful for Kid's presence at his side to steady him.

"Are you okay?"

Like hell he was going to admit to  _not_  being okay. The instinctive denial was on the tip of his tongue, "Yeah, cour-" Unfortunately, it wasn't the only thing on his tongue. Another wave of work-out nausea stole his breath away and bent him double, "Sh-shit. I feel like I'm gonna-" He ran to the side and puked. BlackStar was utterly certain he managed to up-chuck the dinner he hadn't had in three days.

"BlackStar!" And once again Kid was there in an instant, shinigami-cool hand rubbing his back soothingly as he retched.

A cold, contemptuous voice behind them had BlackStar tensing fit to tear something, "Again. We don't have time to pander to your weak stomach with the enemy prodding for every-"

If Professor Asshat tried every day for the rest of his life, he could still never hope to have a voice as chilling or commanding as Kid's own, "Shut. Up." Kid turned to the man, one hand still on Star's back, "Why don't you go harass the other students and leave dealing with my partner to  _me_? We've been out here all day working, we've done every drill, every exercise, every work-out you could think of, with precious few breaks and no complaints at all. We're  _doing_  our best, and, in case it slipped your mind, we're fresh out of the  _hospital_.  _I_  think we've done rather well for being nearly infirm, don't you?" And it wasn't as though BlackStar had shinigami healing to fall back on, his healing was all his own stamina and determination- and  _damned_  if he was going to show weakness around Captain Clusterfuck there. ...Aside from the arguably weak stance of being worked to vomiting.

The faculty member gave an affronted huff and turned away. Even as wretched as he felt, BlackStar managed a victorious smirk and thumbs-up, "Good man."

Kid ran delightfully cold fingers across his forehead and through his hair, "Mm." He leaned around to try and pin Star with his golden eyes, "Now that he's not breathing down our necks, are you  _really_  okay?"

BlackStar temporized, "I am... functional."

"That isn't an answer and you know it. The fact you had to use a three syllable word is proof enough."

Star managed what he considered a reasonable facsimile of his unconcerned grin, "Okay enough. Just, you know, altering my entire molecular structure's a little tiring is all."

Kid physically turned BlackStar's head and leaned down, resting their foreheads together and causing Star's eyes to shoot wide as he stared. He was stuck between his face just combusting from touching Kid's own, or sinking into the other's hold for the glorious sensation of cold on his overheated body. "You're hot."

Shaking himself from his stupor, Star managed to smirk and hold a hand to his chest, "Why, Kid, I never knew-"

Golden eyes rolled, "Oh, shut up." He straightened up and assessed his partner critically. BlackStar didn't have the energy to do more than kneel on the ground and slump down until his forehead rested against his knees. "Wait here, I'll go bring you some water to rinse your mouth out and drink."

Just where did Kid think he was going in this state?

"And don't listen to him, Star, according to what I've been hearing from the others, we've been setting records for progress."

Another thumbs-up in acknowledgement was his response and Kid was gone.

If he was being honest, BlackStar could admit that the biting comments stung, but after hearing them for so long, the vitriol only growing since Tsubaki's death, he was more or less numb to them. Let the bastards talk, they'd shut up quick enough when he beat them and they were left looking up to see him. Screw his own body and its imagined limitations, he was going to show them all. If he had to transform to weapon form and back another thousand times, he would.

He snorted as he focused on regulating his breathing and settling his pulse. These idiots were so impressed that he was willing to work until he puked without a word of complaint. They knew  _nothing_. They had no idea of the years he'd spent pushing his body beyond its limits until he was spitting blood. BlackStar was no stranger to hard work, to pushing himself until he collapsed from exhaustion, and then dragging himself back up after that.

He was raised with the son of Death. Sid didn't pull punches, didn't believe in being too soft- and BlackStar truly appreciated that. He was young, but he was strong, he was a fully trained assassin for Shibusen, even if he  _loathed_  killing non-kishin and refused to, he had those skills. The other students had dropped like flies around him and Kid. The vast majority having come from the NOT class, they complained, they walked away when they worked themselves nauseous, several failed to pace themselves and fainted outright. None of them understood the training EAT students went through, or the stress of the life-and-death decisions that came with it. How the hellish training that EAT was put through felt like a blessing the first time one went up against a real life Kishin, how they begged for more classes and practiced ever harder in their spare time.

The NOT students watched in awe and envy as the EAT class showed them what a training session  _was_. And everyone, wary or not, scared or not,  _EAT_  or NOT, stared in stunned disbelief as Kid and BlackStar left them all in the dust. Not a word of complaint left their mouths as they were worked into the ground, their efforts inspiring EAT students to work even harder as they tried to keep up. If nothing else, BlackStar was gaining respect with his classmates as he showed exactly how far he was willing to push himself and they saw for the first time that his claims of mastery and goal of surpassing god might not be the groundless bluster they'd always thought.

Several teams were at the edges of the training field, reclining in the shade as they let their muscles cool off, and watching as Star and Kid continued on, with blatant admiration that did more for Star than the false strokes to his ego ever had. He just plainly didn't have  _time_  (or breath) for bluster at the moment. He was tired of shouting when no one listened. There was no Tsubaki to soothe his ruffled feathers at being ignored anymore, or tell him to slow down, and Kid was pushing himself just as hard.

They couldn't afford it anymore. Put side-by-side with Kid as they worked together, the student body was left to realize just how even BlackStar was with their resident death god. Even, as Kid had so helpfully pointed out to their so helpless teacher, right out of the hospital. It did leave him to wonder, though, at the irony of life, that he was only finally getting attention when he'd stopped shouting for the world to notice him...

Kid was back at his side several minutes later and holding out a glass of water. BlackStar took it and rinsed his mouth out, spitting into the dust, and drank the rest of it. He frowned for a moment, it couldn't have been only his getting lost in thought: Kid sure seemed to have taken his time coming back. "Water fountain crowded?"

"Mm." And Kid apparently didn't feel the need to share his reason for taking the scenic route.  _Whatever_. It's not like Star really cared enough to bother him about something so (probably) trivial when he had training to focus on, he really wasn't even curious about it.  _Except he totally was._

...Not that Kid would tell him until his perfectly symmetrical brain had worked it over anyway. He stood up and blew out a breath, tilting his head and testing his limbs, then turned to Kid with a grin, "Ready to get back to work?"

Kid smiled back and BlackStar felt his heart flutter, "Sure." And there was also the thinking that if he just worked hard enough, he wouldn't have the energy to get flustered about Kid being so close. BlackStar stood up with a deep breath and flexed his hands, reaching out to Kid, and went through the transformation exercise again.

Sword, BlackStar, sword...

He hadn't been kidding when he'd said that it was tiring to transform. He was changing his entire body, compressing it into the shape of a sword, then, before it could even become used to the shape, forcing it back into human form. Muscle memory, instinct. He had to get used to this, his first response when danger struck and Kid called for him had to be transforming so they could fight. He had to train himself out of throwing himself into the fight by himself. And it was like every other form of training: repetition, repetition.

It wasn't that much easier on Kid, who had to focus on running his soul wavelength through BlackStar's new form and concentrate on helping them keep up a base resonance to strengthen their bond. If they were going to go out and face those kishin-freaks, they were going to need to be absolutely flawless, or they'd wind up very much dead. That meant they had to be able to move and react like they'd been partners for years, not like they'd only officiated it yesterday like they actually had.

According to the older EAT students, they were making outstanding progress. The fact that BlackStar had been able to go from uncertain he could transform at all to running through shifting-drills amazed many. It wasn't as hard as he'd thought, he'd certainly heard Sid's explanation to other students enough over the years.  _"Awaken the sharp blade lying dormant in your soul."_  He'd managed to transform and even had a cutting edge. It hadn't been difficult when he'd meditated and the loudest thought in his head was being strong enough, capable enough, to protect Kid from these new horrors, protect him like he'd failed to protect Tsubaki. He wouldn't fail again, he  _couldn't_. He wouldn't survive losing someone else, he wouldn't survive losing  _Kid_. He'd felt the resolution solidify and the change had come.

Now he had to hold onto that feeling, had to know where it rested inside him so he could change in an instant. He couldn't afford to freeze, he had to be able to shift- and, he thought privately, he wanted to be able to manage the shift-dodging that made Liz and Patty so dangerous and wily in a fight.

Time melted away just like his body. It was such a strange sensation. His muscles ached and tingled strangely, like they had been numb and were just getting feeling back. They were strong, and they showed it off, but that wasn't really the problem, and BlackStar knew that Kid had to feel it, too. Being strong didn't make up for being skilled, and Kid wasn't- at least not with a sword. No amount of melting into gold light and black steel was going to change that. Fuck showing off how fit they were, the teachers should be letting him drag Kid off and beat him half to death with some practice swords to pound some sense of kenjutsu into his head.

Sid specialized in knives, but it wasn't like he was a slacker about other bladed weapons. BlackStar could feel the cloud of discontent hiding behind the shell of Kid's mask everytime the shinigami picked him up. They both got it: put the school through its paces ruthlessly, force the students into harmony with their new physiology, create stress enough to thoroughly test the new partnerships and break up the lesser ones. But the teachers apparently didn't get it: they were  _BlackStar_ and  _Death the Kid_. If there was a change to his body and fighting style he couldn't adjust to on the fly, he probably rather deserved whatever gruesome death was coming his direction anyway. And did they not actually check on shinigami reactions? If Kid couldn't deal with something like ears and a tail, BlackStar'd beat him to a bloody pulp himself to get him over it. It had worked for the OCD.

If their physical reports for the day before Transformation Practice were anything to go by, their new appendages were only helping them with balance and detection. The sounds around them were so much  _clearer_  now, moving their bodies while keeping their center was child's play (which, probably a good thing since everyone seemed determined to treat them like children as if they didn't fight eldritch monsters on a regular basis).

_So... what took so long to bring water? Have trouble finding a symmetrical glass?_

Kid jerked with him in hand and BlackStar gave him an utterly unimpressed look as the light reflected off his blade.  _"No, I got... side-tracked. One of the other teachers had a message for me."_

BlackStar waited impatiently before mentally crossing his arms and tapping his metaphysical foot.  _ **Annnd...?**_

_"We... have a mission first thing in the morning. I'm not sure how you'll feel about it."_

Star rolled his eyes.  _...Not like I'm right here in your goddamned hand to ask or anything. I'm up for just about anything if it gets us out of here!_  He covered his hesitation well as his earlier thought echoed back at him. Kid, wielding him inexpertly at best. Kid and him both out there with their new enemy getting stronger. Kid, dying in front of him because he couldn't use a sword as well as they really needed to. Kid being put in the ground just like-

He shook his head within the form of the blade. He would never admit it, but he, BlackStar the Impertinent, the Impatient, was nervous about taking a mission. And damn Soul Resonance that let his every thought trickle down the bond he shared with Kid and flood the Meister's mind with images of his own death and imagined funeral. They winced simultaneously as Kid staggered under both the inflammatory scenes and the weight of his and BlackStar's combined emotions. Not that he wasn't used to dealing with BlackStar's moods, but he  _wasn't_  used to having them inside his head.

Straightening and shaking his head to master the sensations, he looked back down at Star in his hand.  _"It has something to do with that, actually; getting training for me, I mean. Father said something about only being able to send me since I've got the diplomatic training and the authority to negotiate."_

That sounded funny.  _Why would you even need to negotiate? Negotiate_ _ **what**_ _?_

_"...The admittance of a young Witch into the school."_

BlackStar perked up.  _Are we taking Liz and Patty with us?_

_"We are. I just wasn't sure of your reaction."_

Aaand,  _that_  put him on alert.  _...Why? Who are we going to try recruiting?_

There was Kid's nervous smile.  _"The, eh-heh... The Mystical Swordsman, Mifune, and the Witch Angela."_

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End file.
